Bird Watcher News May 28th, 2014

Local Bird News

Second bluebird nest of season at our

Roswell store

- photo by Kayla Deis

Nesting season continues as most birds are starting their second broods, often accompanied by the young from the first clutch. They will sometimes use the same nest box, so try to clean it out as soon as the first fledglings leave the box. It's always better to start with a new, fresh nest that is free of parasites.

Mom bluebird is nest building again - photo by Jane Walker

In our last newsletter we talked about baby birds and what to do if you find one. It turns out that a customer at our Roswell store shared it with her husband, who just happens to be a producer for CBS 46 in Atlanta. They decided to do a two part story on nesting birds featuring our store and Atlanta Audubon. How exciting! We are very proud of Mary Mellom, our Roswell store manager, for doing a terrific job on camera! You can view the the news segment by clicking

HERE.

Thank you, CBS 46 for the great plug!!!

"Where are my hummers?"

It's that slow time of year for Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.
Don't worry - they are busy nesting and guarding territories, and just don't have time to hang out at our feeders right now. Be patient! About a month from now, around the 4th of July, you will start seeing a few more birds, with numbers peaking in August and September, when you will have them all over - chasing, dive-bombing, guarding feeders and fattening up for their trip south!

Hi Birdwatchers!

Gray Catbird enjoying red grapes. They love suet too!

Now that school is out, Summer is unofficially here! As temperatures rise, we often hear customers say that they stop feeding their birds, and will pick up again in the Fall when it's "colder." There is a common misconception that food sources are more plentiful in warmer months. It is true that there are a lot of insects now, but berries and fruits are only just beginning to ripen, and most flowers don't go to seed until late Summer. Songbirds are busy raising young and will definitely appreciate you keeping their favorite feeders filled.

If you choose to scale back feeding during a season, it makes more sense to do so during the Fall instead of Summer. There is an abundance of natural food then, and you'll notice a slow-down from late Summer through November anyway.

Another myth we hear is that you can't feed suet during the Summer; yet we sell thousands of pounds of suet this time of year, much more than we do during the Winter months. Suet is a great protein source and we often see parents bringing their newly-fledged young to the suet feeders.

Hairy Woodpecker - photo by Hank Ohme

There are many flavors of no-melt suet you can use
throughout the year. Our favorite is the Cole's Natural Peanut, or if squirrels are a problem, the Hot Meats suet cakes. Suet Kibbles and Nuggets are other great, no-melt choices.

So enjoy your Summer birds. Feeding allows us to bring the joy of nature up close...don't miss out!

Blackbirds taking over your suet feeders?

Greedy Grackles and Starlings can gobble up your suet cakes before you know it. The Suet Palace will stop them in their tracks, while still allowing smaller songbirds access. Larger woodpeckers can cling to the bottom. It'll pay for itself in suet savings!

Our Price: $29.99

Kennesaw * Roswell * Buford * Marietta * Canton