Home › Archives for November 2009

The Birds of the Song "The Twelve Days of Christmas"

The twelve days of Christmas actually refer to the days occurring between Christmas and Epiphany. Traditionally, this period was often observed with parties or other celebrations..While the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is often listed as a traditional medieval English carol, it may have its roots in France. Over...
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What Do Titmice Eat?

Most titmice eat insects, spiders, snails, various berries, acorns, and seeds. There are five species of titmice in North America: Black-crested Titmouse, Juniper Titmouse, Oak Titmouse, Bridled Titmouse, and Tufted Titmouse. The most widely distributed and only titmouse in mid-Michigan is the Tufted Titmouse. Found foraging...
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Do You Sell Canaries?

I want to buy my girlfriend a Canary or an Owl for Christmas. Do you have any in stock?No, Wild Birds Unlimited doesn't sell any birds. But we do sell the best bird feeders and the best bird food in mid-Michigan. If you come in we can help you set up the best outdoor bird feeding station to attract a wide variety of birds...
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Can birds predict the weather?

Most birds have a special middle-ear receptor called the Vitali organ, which can sense incredibly small changes in barometric pressure. So if the activity at feeders suddenly becomes much more intense a storm may be approaching. Birds flying low or lining up on power lines also indicate swiftly falling air pressure.During...
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What is the best bird feeder?

I want to buy the best birdfeeder as a gift. What do you suggest?There are a lot of feeders to choose from. With over 25 years of research and experience, Wild Birds Unlimited® is proud to offer you the highest-quality birdfeeders and birdfeeding equipment on the market today. Any feeder you choose should be easy to fill...
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Well, Well Hello, Dolly!

Well, Hello, Dolly, It's so nice to have you here where you belong. You're looking swell, Dolly, We can tell, Dolly, You are glowin', you are crowin'You are growin' strong. Well Hello Dolly!Well hello, hey look there's Dolly! Dolly will never go away. Dolly will never go away. Dolly is goin' to stay and play, Hurray!.Click...
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Dinner Bell for the Birds

Happy Thanksgiving!Invite birds to a delicious meal with the Wild BirdsUnlimited Dinner Bell. Fill this versatile feeder with our Peanut Harvest Blend, some Suet Snacks, seed cylinders or mealworms and see how many different birds you can attract. The Dinner Bell's dome raises and lowers, allowing you to feed only the birds you want. The dome also...
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The Wild Birds Unlimited Corporate Plane

Operation Migration, the lead organization helping to reintroduce endangered Whooping Cranes into eastern North America, has begun its 9th season of migration flights from Wisconsin to Florida. The Whooping Crane Grus americana is the tallest flying bird in North America, with a height of up to 5 feet and a wingspan as...
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Why Don't Power Lines Electrocute Starlings?

When I stop at red lights I watch all the starlings balancing on the telephone wires. Why don't these birds get shocked when they sit on high voltage lines?When birds are only in contact with one power line, they are not forming a complete circuit, so the electricity does not flow through them. Unfortunately, some larger...
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Why is a Turkey Is Called a Turkey?

As we approach Thanksgiving (aka Turkey Day), you might be wondering why turkeys are called turkeys. There's a lot of confusion, but this all-American bird is not from the country of Turkey. The birds weren't known outside the Americas until Spanish explorers brought some from the New World to Spain in the early 1500s.There...
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What do Turkeys Eat?

This may be a funny question to ask around Thanksgiving but, we have a Wild Turkey visiting our bird feeder and I’d like to feed her. She’s interesting to watch. What do they prefer to eat?Turkeys are fun to observe! Wild turkeys like open areas for feeding, mating and habitat. They use forested areas as cover from predators...
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Have you seen any new birds?

All birds fascinate me and sometimes my mind doesn’t mark the significance of a particular species. “Bird!” That’s the first thing out of my mouth when I get a chance to sit down and watch my feeders. I know the bird feeder is there to attract birds and I probably know the bird’s name but all I really care about is “bird!”...
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Making the Most of the Day

It's getting dark so early now I feel like the days are flying. I'm trying to squeeze as much as I can into every day but there never seems to be enough time. I've spent the whole week rushing around decorating the store, unloading new items, and assembling a variety of feeders. So today I'm going to take a minute to remind...
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What was that neat feeder in the previous post?

360 Degrees of Pure MmmmmmThe peanut wreath is our number one selling pre-wrapped feeder for the holidays. It not only makes a unique host/hostess gift, the birds love it too. Hang it in your favorite tree and watch peanut loving birds, like chickadees and woodpeckers, fly in for a meal. It's durable, yet it remains flexible...
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Is that woodpecker sleeping on my feeder?

I watched a Downy Woodpecker yesterday freeze in position against the feeder for several minutes. I'm wondering if it was snoozing? It was a most interesting behavior.Did the feeding station suddenly go quiet? Was there any other activity at the feeders? If the downy saw a hawk it may have decided to remain completely...
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Incredible up-close experience with a huge seal in Antarctica

National Geographic photographer Paul Nicklen describes coming face-to-face with deadly leopard seal only to have it take care of h...
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Is Wild Birds Unlimited a Franchise?

In 1981, Wild Birds Unlimited (WBU) began as a single store owned by Jim Carpenter in Indianapolis, Indiana. By 1982, the first franchise store was opened in Michigan. Other stores soon followed and today there are over 270 stores across the U.S. and Canada. They are all individually owned and operated but gift cards can...
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What is the largest owl in Michigan?

The largest owl in North America is the Great Gray Owl Strix nebuloa which can measure in length from 24-33 inches. It has a very fluffy dark gray body interspersed with bars and flecks of brown, pale gray, and white. Its face is shaped like a satellite dish to detect and capture the quietest rodent scurrying on the forest...
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Are there heated birdbaths that are solar?

Sorry there are no reliable heated solar birdbaths that work in mid-Michigan at this time. The solar baths on the market today will only operate during full, direct sunlight. I've test marketed these in the sunniest location I could find in Lansing only to discover Michigan doesn't have full sun days. I expect that in...
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New studies offer the first hard evidence that birds use feathers for audible communication

Have you ever noticed the sound doves’ wings make when they take off flying? Scientists recently discovered that the sounds are not just an accident. They recorded several wing whistles from normal take offs and from when they flew a hawk shape over a feeding station. The sound of the wing whistle of startled birds was louder and faster and actually...
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"Apple core! Say No More. Who's your friend?"

Backyard Beauty & FriendsI read that you were interested in pictures. Here are a few of our "resident" chipmunks eating their daily fare.Regards, D.D.Too cute! I'm glad to see you share your apple cores. Everyone is welcome to send any nature photos you want posted and let me know if you want credit or stay anonymous.Thank...
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Veterans Days is another big thank you to our men and women in harm's way.

The day turned out pretty nice. I would like to say thank you to everyone that has served and still serves to protect the US and other counties that need a helping hand.The eagle represents freedom. Living as he does on the tops of lofty mountains, amid the solitary grandeur of Nature, he has unlimited freedom, whether...
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Moth With Twelve Inch Tongue

What helps pollinate an orchid that hides its nectar at the bottom of a long narrow tube? Darwin was ridiculed when he predicted somewhere in Madagascar there was a moth with a proboscis long enough to reach the bottom of the 12 inch nectar spur. One hundred and fifty years later an infra red camera solves the mystery..I first saw this video posted...
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Facts every backyard birder wants know about Nuthatches

Red Breasted NuthatchThe name Nuthatch probably results from the corruption of the word “nuthack” which refers to its’ habit of hacking away at a seed with its beak until it opens.Nuthatches are probably one of the easiest backyard birds to identify. Known as the “upside down” bird, it is often observed creeping headfirst...
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Red-breasted or red-bellied? Who establishes bird names in the US?

I just saw a nuthatch and I have trouble remembering if it’s red-bellied or red breasted. Now that I think about it, maybe it’s a rose-breasted nuthatch. Can you clarify the name for me?The American Ornithological Union (AOU) has long been the accepted authority for English bird names and scientific nomenclature. Founded...
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Let's Play "Name That Bird"

Wild Birds Unlimited has a way to identify those feathered strangers you see from time to time. It's the online field guide that makes identifying unfamiliar birds easy. It's Whatbird.com!You provide information about the unfamiliar bird you've seen by selecting from a menu of attributes such as color, wing shape and size;...
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You'll Never See, Until You Look.

Why is that elephant sitting on a nest? As far as I know, elephants are not known to be tree climbers so I'm guessing it's a photoshopped image. I don't have any information about the source of this image but I thought it was cute and it reminded me of one of my favorite books Horton Hatches the Egg. .I have a view of...
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How do I winterize my bird feeding station? Part 2

Okay, now that you know what to feed your birds in mid-Michigan during the winter, what about your feeders. What do I put up and what do I take down?If you haven't done it already, it's safe to take down all your hummingbird and oriole feeders. Clean them first before you store them away. I soak the feeders for about 5...
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How do I winterize my bird feeding station?

Is there different food I should be feeding in the winter? I am asked this question a lot as cold weather approaches. The biggest no, no in feeding birds is offering seed blends with milo, oats, groats, or other filler seeds that birds won't eat. They are going to need a lot of energy to survive our cold winter and when...
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I'm working in a maze of boxes!

Who gets all their holiday shopping done before Thanksgiving? Apparently a lot of Wild Birds Unlimited customers. I've been swamped with people buying gifts today! It's Tuesday so our seed came in this morning too. I've been going back and forth between unloading seed and unboxing the truck loads of really neat stuff and...
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