#Photo Share: Mother Nature's clean up crew

Hey, who was passing out the full sized candy bars and what little trick-or-treater had a hole in their bag? Nature's got her own clean up crew picking up apples, acorns and the occasionally chocolate covered peanut.And remember, don’t just toss your old Jack O’Lanterns in the trash. Fill them with a little seed and put...

Category › Friday Photo

Which one of these birds is not like the others?

Top: Male House Sparrow/Female House SparrowBottom: Carolina Wren/ Male House SparrowA lot of brown birds look alike to human eyes but I encourage you to take the time to really look at the birds visiting your feeder. Like cats and dogs, different species of birds have different characters. I was watching the feeder today...

Category › Bird of the week

When do bats hibernate?

Bats are amazing creatures. The only mammals capable of sustained flight, bats wings are formed from skin stretched over long, thin fingers. There are nine species of bats in Michigan that feed on a variety of moths, flies, beetles and other insects. Under normal conditions they can capture 600 to 1,000 mosquito-sized...

Category › Nature up close

The cat-human-bird connection at Wild Birds Unlimited

“Isn’t it ironic to have a cat in a bird store?”  This is a very popular question for new customers that stop by our store. But cats and humans working together in grain stores goes way back. DNA evidence identifies the pet cat’s ancestor as the Arabian wildcat Felis silvestris lybicaand places its origins between...

Category › Store Cats

Why owls are associated with Halloween

The variety of myths surrounding owls range from the idea that they bring bad luck, announce death, or take away souls, to the belief that they provide cures for ailments, ward off evil spirits, and guide the dead on their journeys. Many superstitions persist to this day.In autumn there are a lot of first year owls that...

Category › Quick fun Facts

Evening Grosbeak decline?

According to Project FeederWatch: “The Evening Grosbeak is a yellow, black, and white finch with a bill that appears too big for its body. Its winter range typically covers the entire northern half the United States and it is found year-round in many western states and southern Canada.Evening Grosbeaksare an irruptive...

Category › Bird of the week

Best place to put bird feeders

Hello, you've been so helpful with all of my questions! We've just moved our feeders around for winter viewing. How long before the cardinals figure out the new configuration. ~ Pewamo, MIWhere to Place FeedersThe number one rule in feeder location is to place it where you can watch the birds easily. Try to find a place...

Category › Bird Basics

Photo Share: Brilliant Cardinal

A male Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) perched in the branches of an apple tree. Photos taken by Ken Thomas. /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in...

Category › Friday Photo

Choosing the best bird seed

I am experimenting with making my own bird seed mix rather than continuing with purchasing commercial products which have a considerable amount of undesirable fillers, e.g., red milo, wheat and grit that only end up as waste. My formula will consist of black/striped sunflower seeds, safflower and white proso millet. Do...

Category › Product Highlight

Prevent mice access to your bird seed

With the onset of cool autumn weather, House Mice Mus musculus might come in from the fields, fencerows, and wooded areas, where they spend the summer and move closer to human dwellings for warmth. They’ll find cracks in rocks or walls, create underground burrows, utilize woodpiles, or storage sheds to make an area for...

Category › Nature up close

When bird migration begins and ends

Is migration nearly over? We've had several window strikes lately and I think it was because these birds were new to the area and just migrating through. ~ Ann Arbor, Michgian  Migration is never over. There are birds moving all around the world all the time. However spring and fall migration is when a lot of...

Category › Question of the week

Unusual bird migrations

The Shortest:Mountain Quail (Oreortyx pictus) live primarily in areas of dense cover in the wooded foothills and mountains along the West Coast of the United States. In the fall these birds congregate into family groups of up to 20 birds and make their way from their summer home in the mountains, into the sheltered valley...

Category › Quick fun Facts

Hill Birds of Odisha

When it comes to Avifauna diversity of Odisha, we either talk of migratory birds of Chilika or don’t go beyond Bhitarkanika. But very few around the world are aware that this is also the state that is home to the some of the rarest of forest bird speciesfound in Indian peninsular.From forest diversity point of view, Odisha...

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Goldfinches overwinter in Michigan

Hello, I’ve lived my whole life in NYC where I occasionally woke to a pigeon. We just moved to East Lansing or “mid-Michigan” as my wife tells her friends, and wake up to a cacophony of bird songs in the morning. Curiosity led me to your journaling site on the internet and you have answered so many of my questions. Is...

Category › Bird of the week

Bluebirds and Robins can overwinter in mid-Michigan

Hello, I was surprised to see a flock of robins on the park lawn today. Will they leave soon? I also heard some bluebirds on a trail walk. What's going on? When do they migrate? ~  Holt, MI Some America Robins migrate but if you look at the range map you’ll see that there are winter populations of robins in most...

Category › Bird Basics

Photo Share: Chipmunk soaking up the last bits of sun before winter

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Category › Friday Photo

Take the suet challenge

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 I love to watch the birds up close but we have a mess on our porch because the woodpeckers flick the suet on the wood. Is there a plate I can put under the feeder? ~ Dewitt, MII enjoy the woodpeckers too and have a couple suggestions....

Category › Product Highlight