Home › Archives for March 2013

Old World Woodpecker uses Unique drilling Technique

Image from Super Punch, via A London Salmagundi The Eurasian Wryneck, Jynx torquilla, is a weird kind of woodpecker. Instead of pecking, it drills into the tree head-on. Once it has bored a sufficient nest hole, the bird twists his head to sand-out the inside with his uniquely designed head feathers.Dremel, a company...
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Remarkable Jinx bird has the moves of a snake

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Why do birds matter? Interesting answers from Audubon

Audubon Magazine recently did an article called Why Birds Matter where they asked avian enthusiasts to share their thoughts on birds. You can read all the responses, which ranged from poetic to practical, and personal to global at: http://www.audubonmagazine.org/articles/birds/why-do-birds-matterI posted part of Hollywood...
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When can I expect my orioles to arrive?

I always say orioles are the last to arrive in the spring and first to leave in the summer. They usually hit my mid-Michigan feeder at the beginning of May with a big song and dance. I have my feeder on the window at the East Lansing Wild Birds Unlimited store and he'll sing right to the customers when he's happy and...
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Photo Share: Blue Jay perched on chair

Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata The name Jay came from the Latin “gaius” meaning “gay or merry.” The species name cristata originates from the Latin word crista, meaning “crested.” /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes;...
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Presence & Range of Malabar Giant Squirrels in Odisha

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE Driving through the Ghats of Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary we hear a loud rattling noise with a series of penetrative chucking call. The Malabar Giant Squirrel or popularly known...
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Cedar Waxwing sipping sap from Sugar Maple

Cedar Waxwing sipping sap from Sugar Maple Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Indigenous peoples that lived in the northeastern part of North America were the first groups known to have produced maple syrup. According to aboriginal oral traditions, as well as archaeological...
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Bluebird house that keeps out Sparrows

We successfully had bluebirds nesting in our bluebird house twice. Unfortunately after that the house sparrows have been trying to invade our birdhouse and chase the bluebirds every time they get close to it. Do you know if sparrows would build their nest in a Peterson's bluebird house?How to Deter Sparrows from your Bluebird...
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A look at the Easter Egg Tradition

Eggs: Nature's perfect package From ancient times eggs have been decorated, exchanged, and shown reverence. Before the egg became closely entwined with the Christian Easter, it was honored during many rite-of-Spring festivals.The egg represented the rebirth of the earth after the long, hard winter was over and was believed...
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Hawk courtship: Red-tailed hawks put on a showy display

One of the more raucous early spring bird calls comes from a common raptor in Michigan that is a little easier to see while deciduous trees are still bare. On sunny days in late March, male and female red-tailed hawks engage in a courtship of circling, swooping and diving, while repeating the cry, kee-eeeee-arr. Red-tailed...
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Keep the birds from pecking the paint off your house: Put out eggshells

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 As birds prepare for nesting season some people in the upper Northeast could find that Blue Jays seem to have acquired a fondness for eating the paint off their house. Research has shown that songbirds need calcium during the breeding...
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Photo Share: Close-up with the Cardinal

The Northern Cardinal with its vivid red plumage, is a delightful year-round resident in mid-Michigan and prefers tangled shrubby bushes and evergreens in yards with feeders. They form faithful pair bonds, and will visit feeders together commonly in the early morning and evening. During the breeding season, male Cardinals...
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Share your bird watching hobby: Let nature nurture

The delight of seeing so many active and energetic birds at your feeders makes feeding the birds a real joy during this time of the year.That joy is available to everyone. By providing just a few simple things, such as fresh foods, clean water and shelter, the birds in your yard will bring you many hours of happiness...
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Red Maple flower make a tasty treat for Cedar Waxwings

It hasn't been a very good year for watching the Cedar Waxwings at the East Lansing Wild Birds Unlimited store. They are definitely a fun bird to listen to when I walk seed out to the cars.Usually waxwings are here year round devouring the fruit, as they ripen, from apple trees that surround the store. However as many...
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Tips to keep your bird feeding area neat, not messy

Is there any way to feed the birds without all the mess on the ground? Admittedly, birds can be finicky and messy. Just watch them at your feeders. Most birds will use their bills to sweep through the food in a feeder to find the one seed they think is the best to eat. They don't seem to mind that all the other...
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