Happy Holidays
from all of us at your Wild Bird Center!!
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Welcome to "Boulder Backyards"
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bird watchers (that's us)
Wild Bird Center Saturday Walks:
From 7:30 am (promptly)
to 9:45 am (approximately)
Every Saturday year-round.
Every last Saturday of the month we travel further afield than normal
and return a little later.
Call for more info: 303-442-1322
Birdwalks
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Wild Bird Center
of Boulder
Quick Links
Xcel Energy BirdCams
One fun way to participate in the lives of local birds is by viewing Xcel Energy's
Web Cams
owl cam
eagle cam
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ea
Nature Photography
by
Wendy Marie Stuart
"Short-eared Owl" by Wendy Marie Stuart
Visit our store to see a gallery of Wendy's matted and framed prints
and greeting cards for all occasions or
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Photo Credits
"Birding Community Bulletins" by National Wildlife Refuge Association
"Short-eared Owl" by Wendy Marie Stuart
"Short-eared Owl II" by Wendy Marie Stuart
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Birding Community Bulletins
 National Wildlife Refuge Association
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eNature Ringtones
I recently had to purchase a new cell phone. My new phone
has so many bells and whistles that I'm sure how to operate it, but I'm
learning slowly. One fun thing that I tried was changing the sounds of my
phone. I figured a Wild Bird Center Owner should have bird sounds on his phone.
I went to http://wild.enature.com/ringtones/ so that I could download of few
free bird sounds onto my phone. Now when you call me I hear a Swainson's Thrush
singing. The possibilities are quite endless, eNature has many different sounds
available. You might consider insect or mammal noises. Your phone might be able
to select specific rings for different contacts in your phonebook. Perhaps you
would select a Plains Spadefoot Toad for your Mother-in-Law. How about a Howler
Monkey or the bellow of a Steller's Sea
Lion? They even have all the state bird sounds. When someone from Minnesota calls me I
hear a common loon.
There are
several ways to get the tones onto your phone, but I found the easiest way was
to send a text message to my phone and then download the tone onto my phone.
Let me know what clever ways you use your ringtones.
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Petrified Wood Sale
Wild
Bird Center
Staffer Bill Eeds is having a sale on all his cut and polished petrified wood
and petrified wood jewelry through mid December to raise money for a childhood
friends' family after his recent passing. All the proceeds will go to the
family of Eddie Gore to help cover their medical expenses. So buy a few gifts
and do a good deed at the same time. Thanks.
petrified wood jewelry
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The Wild Bird Center Helps Kids Build Bat Boxes
We recently made bat boxes with some kids at Longmont Estates Elementary. (We were supposed to do it before Halloween, but my case of H1N1 got in the way) It took about an hour of hammering for the 20 kids to complete their boxes. Hopefully, next spring Longmont will have a lot of happy bats. The kits were made using the instruction for our bat box kit made from fence pickets which can be found on our Website. Many thanks to the Longmont Home Depot for making up our kits and to Jean and Sally at Longmont Estates for all the support.
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Thank you!
on our
20th Anniversary
from all of us at YOUR
Wild Bird Center! We couldn't have done this without you! Twenty years is a long time in anyone's book and we owe our success to you -- our customers, compatriots, fellow birders, and friends. A hearty thank you to you all!
Steve, Wendy, Marlene, & Bill
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Contact Information
Steve Frye, Owner
Wild Bird Center Boulder
1641-28th Street
Boulder, CO 80301
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Christmas Bird Count
100th Anniversary of the Boulder Count
Every year around Christmas Time, the National Audubon holds
Christmas Bird Counts to census and analyze trends in bird populations. This is
a volunteer effort and you could help! No matter what your birding experience,
you could help out and have the great experience of participating in a
Christmas Bird Count. The dates for our two local counts are December 19th
for the Longmont
Count and December 20th for the Boulder Count. For more information
about the many Bird Counts: Click Here
If you are an adventuresome birder, please consider
attending a count in a more rural area of Colorado, they can always use the help. If
you would like to help, but cannot commit to going out birding, you can
participate by being a feeder watcher in your own yard. Try your best to set
aside time to participate in the Christmas Bird Count, it's a great break from
Holiday Madness and good fun.
Note: One of the big reasons I started the Wild Bird Center in Boulder
was because of the always high number of participants in the Boulder Christmas
Bird Count.
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----- Coupon ----- Coupon ----- Coupon -----
Offer #1:
Bird Feeders make great family gifts. Entertainment for everyone!
5# Oil Sunflower FREE with Every Seed Feeder Purchase gold finches in winter on birdfeeder
Go to our Online Catalog to view feeders & other products:
Hopper feeders, Nyjer feeders, Platform feeders, Specialty feeders, Squirrel-proof feeders, Suet feeders, Tube feeders, Window feeders
Offer #2:
Spread Holiday Cheer!
50% Off ALL Holiday Cards
Mention CODE WB1203 or that you received this coupon via email when you come into the store. Or Call (303) 442-1322 to redeem. Some restrictions may apply. Not valid in combination with other promotions. Expiration date: 12/31/09.
----- Coupon ----- Coupon ----- Coupon -----
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Coming Events
Christmas Home Tour
 Thu, Dec 3rd & Fri, Dec 4th
The Wild Bird Center
donated a decorated Christmas Tree to the Christmas Home Tour put on by the
First Congregational Church in Longmont.
The tree has various bird related ornaments including 9 Charles Harper Brass
Ornaments. Proceeds from the home tour go to support many local charities. If
you would like to bid on the Wild Bird Center Tree and visit some wonderful
homes decorated for the holidays, Click Here for more information.
Wildlife Tree Day - Sat, Dec 5th
10:30am to Noon
Wildlife Tree Day is a holiday tradition at the Wild Bird
Center. Join us to make
edible ornaments and decorate your outdoor trees for the birds (& other
critters too). This is a FREE outdoor event which is open to all  ages. (If the
weather on Saturday is really cold we will hold Wildlife Tree Day in the back
room of the store) Make some for yourself or surprise a friend by decorating
their tree. No reservations required. For more information call the Wild Bird
Center at 303-442-1322.
Boxing Day Bird Walk - Sat, Dec 26th
7:30am to 11:00
For our last bird walk of the year we are going to head up to Longmont. Possible destinations include Union Reservoir, Golden Ponds, Jim Hamm Nature Preserve, Sandstone Ranch, or the Greenway. Plan to carpool from the store leaving at 7:30 or meet us in Longmont at the Fairgrounds Pond Parking Lot on the north side of Boston just east of Hover at 7:50. No reservations required. For more information call the Wild Bird Center at 303-442-1322.
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 Ask Steve
Q: I know that different odd geese show
up on the Front Range like greater white-fronted. How do I find them in the crowds
of Canada Geese?
A: The odd geese that show up along the Front
Range are snow, Ross's, cackling, and greater white-fronted. I was
thinking about this issue the other day when I took my garbage out late at
night. A few snow geese flew over me and I stopped to listen as they passed
giving their nasal honks. I also remember a time birding with Scott Severs when
tons of geese were flying over us. I dismissed them as all Canada's and went on
scanning the reservoir for birds, but Scott shouted out 'white-fronted' and
pointed toward the sky. Soon enough we found the white-fronted goose flying
along with the hundreds of other Canada Geese. He had found the white-front by
sound, then we found it with our binoculars. It's quite a feat to pick out a
white-fronted's call from all the other goose sounds. Becoming familiar with
the different goose sounds will help you find those odd ones. The differences
are sometimes very subtle so you may have to listen to them a few times to pick
out what distinguishes each.
geese migrating
All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology:
Canada Goose
Greater White-Fronted Goose
Snow Goose
Ross's Goose
Bird Web:
Cackling Goose
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short-eared owl
Ghost of the Marsh by Scott Severs
Winter, for me, is a time for raptors; an exciting time,
when each day brings the possibility of seeing an unusual species or one of the
many morphs (subspecies or plumage variants) that come to Colorado. We live in
relatively good winter retreat habitat for birds of prey. Bald eagles,
rough-legged hawks, and other daytime-foraging raptors hunt for voles, mice,
and prairie dogs in the county's remaining open space and farmlands. Nighttime
avian hunters also find their way here, exploiting the nocturnal habits of
mammalian prey. Owl species that migrate here include the long-eared owl,
short-eared owl, and rarely, snowy owls. My personal favorite is the
short-eared owl. Although these owls nest in some parts of Colorado, the
likelihood of seeing one increases in years when a shortage of prey in other
areas drive more individuals into the state.
Named for
its small ear tufts, which are often barely visible, the short-eared owl is
medium-sized, just slightly shorter than the black-billed magpie. An
open-country species, they perch in fairly exposed locations, where their fawn
and brown feathers help conceal them. Unlike most of our owls, which reside in
forested habitats, these owls prefer to live and forage in wetlands, pastures,
and grasslands. They often share their surroundings with the harrier, a hawk of
open spaces.
"Short-eared Owl II" by Wendy Marie Stuart
Short-eared
owls are very observable owls, which is probably why I like them so much.
Sharing many of the hunting techniques of the northern harrier, they hunt on
the wing, looking and-more often-listening for prey on the ground, in reeds or
in prairie grasses. Their round facial disk serves as a sophisticated listening
device, funneling the sounds of mice and voles to their ears. As do most owls,
short-eared owls fly on silent wings, their rounded and soft feather edges
muffling sound as the feather cuts through the air. When they detect prey,
their flight stalls, and they may hover a second or two, then plunge down,
talons first, to grab their unsuspecting victim.
Although
they usually hunt in the dim light of dusk and dawn, the short-eared owl is
often seen in the day. During seasonal population explosions of their prey,
many owls will gather over the marsh, along with the harriers, to take
advantage of the wealth of food.
The aerial
talents of this owl are obvious in the courtship displays of the males. Toward
the end of winter, the males fly in a floppy, stalled manner until they are
high above the marsh, at which point they drive and swoop with loud claps of
the wings.
One of the
few owl species that builds its own nest, the short-eared owl nests from April
through June in open country. Short-eared owls build their nests on the ground,
often in cattails or rushes. They create a shallow depression and add feathers,
grasses, and plant stems. The number of eggs the female lays varies greatly;
typically four to seven, but occasionally up to a dozen. The number of eggs
correlates to the availability of rodents, since high mice numbers bode well
for the survival of hungry owlets. Females incubate the eggs for about 21 days,
and the young fledge from the nest about a month later. Faithful to their nest
and young, short-eared owls aggressively defend their family, diving at great
blue herons and other large birds that may threaten their nest. They will also
feign injury to draw coyotes and foxes away from the nest site.
Among the
most widespread of owl species, the "ghost of the marsh" can be found in
appropriate habitats from the northern coasts of Alaska
and Canada
southward to the midsection of the lower 48 states. The San
Luis Valley
is their stronghold in Colorado,
with lesser numbers residing on our plains. Locally, when the conditions are
right, Boulder Reservoir, Boulder Valley Ranch Open Space, Union Reservoir, and
Lagerman Reservoir offer good opportunities to observe these birds.
All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology:
Short-eared Owl
The Owl Pages:
Species: Asio flammeus Short-eared Owl
YouTube:
Short-eared Owl (by barredowl14)
Short-eared Owl in Flight - I am the Owl (by John Feith)
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Wild Bird Center Website
The Wild Bird Centers launched a new Website which has some neat new features. One slick new feature is the Common Bird Field Guides which shows photos and videos, lets you listen to songs, and has a lot of great info including how to attract the most common species.
We are always working on increasing the value of our site. The address for the new site is www.wildbird.com/franchisee/bld and you can always reach the new site by going to our Product Catalog at www.wbcboulder.com and clicking on the Wild Bird Center Home link on top of the left navigation column. Be sure to bookmark both of them! Or you can just use the links below to navigate our local Boulder pages of the new site.
common western birds common eastern birds
 
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Wild Bird Center of Boulder
Catalog Web Site
We continue to add products to our Catalog Website for our Boulder Store. While we are under construction, we invite you to check it out at www.WBCBoulder.com. For all you locals who get seed delivered, you can use the site to figure out an order and delivery charges. Feel free to email us or call (303) 442 1322 with your product questions.
Click Here To View Our New Product Catalog
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