Five

Special

HOLIDAY

OFFERS!

Special offers just for you!

[View COUPONS below "Ask Steve" article]

Happy Holidays!

It's the time of year to give thanks for all, and I need to thank all of my customers for the wonderful support and camaraderie. I would also like to thank my staff for the terrific work and support. Of course, the store would not be possible without the loving support of my family. Instead of our usual more education-based newsletter, we are sending you some useful coupons and gift ideas this month. We'll be back to our normal format next month. Have a wonder-filled new year, get out and enjoy the great out-of-doors, and thank you very much. --Steve Frye

Ask Steve

The following question is back by popular demand!

Queston: What should I get for my ________________?

Answers:

For the Bird Feeder Enthusiast who has everything:

We have some new long-lasting suets from Pacific Bird who offer some unusual flavors like Pumpkin & Mealworm which have been very popular. We have many varieties of seed in new small packaging which would couple well with a metal 3-in-1 platform feeder. Have you ever heard of a Hummingbird Swing? Well they probable haven't either. And, if all else fails, there is always a big bag of seed or a gift certificate.

For the Bird Nerd (aka a Nird): How about a fantastic book titled Avian Architecture? And National Geographic has followed up on their incredible show on Birds of Paradise with an equally incredible book of the same name. Also from National Geo, comes a smaller western and eastern version of their hallmark field guide to the Birds of North America. To get a good look at all those winter raptors and waterfowl give an Alpen 80mm Spotting Scope!.

For the Gadget Lover: What outdoors gadget enthusiast wouldn't love getting a Bushnell 6x50mm NightVision Monocular? For a more moderate gadget try a car window mount for a camera or spotting scope or a binocular harness. Ever try digiscoping (i.e. taking a photo through your spotting scope)? Using an adjustable camera mount for your spotting scope could help a lot.

For the Gardener: Almost anything we have in the store. But here are a few more specific ideas - wind chimes, decorative bird house, heated bird bath or a bird bath heater, plantskydd (animal repellant for plants which really works), hummingbird feeder with some nectar, or a set of beautiful metal crane sculptures.

For Anybody (even if they are not into birds . . . heaven forbid): I have met many people who do not like certain birds, but very few who don't generally like birds.
We have a variety of things that the non-enthusiast would enjoy including calendars, note cards, puzzles, bird mugs, or bird art.

For Kids: Depending on their interest, many things would be appropriate like a bird house kit, books, kid's calendar, a seed ball or other feeders, or some compact binoculars.

For a House Warming or Neighbor Gift: A seed wreath, snowperson, or Christmas Tree would be a great thing to bring to a neighbor or dinner host. Also, small bird sculptures or an Enchanted Feeder which is a small copper covered platform feeder in the shape of a rabbit, squirrel, or bird make unusual and treasured gifts.

For the Squirrel Lover/Hater/Undecided: Here are some things for those that respect squirrels no matter where they are on the continuum. The Lunch box lets
you feed the squirrels and not the birds! If stopping them is your game then look into some of our new caged feeders or weight-restrictive feeders. The Jagunda is a feeder system complete with a large-capacity feeder, baffle/tray, and a fortified pole. We also carry baffles for hanging or pole-mounted feeders (and squirrel food).

For Stocking Stuffers: Stocking items are always such fun. Think about some of these things to fill those stockings - suet cakes and/or feeders, seed bells, bird jewelry, bird ornaments, or a handy hook to get your hanging feeders down more easily.

[View COUPONS Below]

To redeem, just mention these Coupons to receive the sale price.
Visit our store or Call (303) 442-1322.

NOTE: Not to be combined with other offers. Offers expire 12/31/13.

Sunflower Chips	Chips Ahoy! Save $5.00 on 20# bags of Sunflower Chips

Oil Sunflower	Get More Nutheads by Using Chickadee & Nuthatch Mix $5.00 Off a 20# bag

Wind Chime	Ring in the New Year with Wind Chimes 30% Off all Chimes

Prepackaged Seeds	New Prepackaged Seeds in 4-6lb bags Many Varieties in Smaller Packages. Great for Giving with a Feeder. Save 15% on All 4-6lb Prepackaged Seeds

Squirrel-Proof Feeder	Free Seed! When you buy a Squirrel-Proof Feeder worth $70.00 or more, get a Free 6lb bag of Sunflower Chips - a $20.00 value

How do I make those peanut butter pine cones?

A. They are really quite simple to make and the birds like the chickadees love them. Recently, I have had a flock of bushtits that come by who are partial to them. By the way, this would be a great present for kids to give. Make up 4 or 6 of these pine cones and put them in a plastic-lined decorated box. Sounds a bit Martha-like don't you think? Anyway, here's how to do it.

First, get some pine cones. Use a pipe cleaner and wrap one end of it tightly around the cone, the other end you will use to hang it up. Holding onto the pipe cleaner, use a knife or spoon to cover the pine cone in your peanut butter mixture. I like to use about a 50-50 mix of shortening and peanut butter. Put the mixture in the microwave to soften it if you need to. After the pine cone is coated, roll it in some seeds. I like to use our Western Patio or Songbird Blend as coatings for bird pine cones.

Real or Virtual Bird Walks

Wild Bird Center holds free bird walks every Saturday Morning throughout the year. We also email the list of birds we saw along with a slide show of photos taken on the walk. This way you can attend a real or virtual bird walk every week (or both)! To sign up for the bird walk email, click on the "Join Our Mailing List" (link below). This is all we will send you, but it comes out once a week. I have a few wonderful customers that help me take images on the walk and it is really fun to see what we capture. To attend a walk just show up at the Wild Bird Center, no reservations required. We carpool and leave promptly at 7:30am and return about 10:00 to 10:30am. Destinations vary and are chosen at the time of departure. If you have any questions call the store at 303-442-1322.

Join Our Mailing List!

Clearance Area

Check out our Clearance Area back by the bookshelf. We have a variety of items including cards, books, gifts, and more which are deeply discounted.

Christmas Bird Counts

Every year around Christmas the National Audubon Society conducts bird counts in established areas to track bird populations. If you are interested in being a citizen scientist and counting birds please contact the compilers listed below. Please note that you don't have to go out in the field to participate, you can become a feeder watcher or let the compilers know if you would be willing to allow access to your property for other counters.

Longmont Count: December 14th, Compiler: Ron Harden hardenrr@msn.com

Boulder Count: December 15th, Compiler: Bill Schmoker bill@schmoker.org