Happy October: Nesting Season is Ending for the Goldfinches

I still hear a few baby goldfinches at the tops of trees. Nesting season for the goldfinches is near the end. Most of the goldfinches have put on their brown winter coats to prepare for winter. But don't stop feeding them! They stay year round in Michigan and sing and flutter fly. They are one of my favorite birds to watch...

Category › Friday Photo

How do the small birds stay warm in the winter?

In the winter birds fluff up to trap air between their feathers and bodies to create a natural layer of insulation, and sleep with their bills under their wing feathers to breathe in warmer air. They also can grow twice as many feathers but they still have to shiver almost constantly to increase their body temperature...

Category › Bird Basics

Roosting Pockets: Warm Shelter from Frosty Winds

Invite Birds to this Charming Village Birds will stay nice and cozy in these delightful roosting pockets woven of all-natural grasses. It offers essential protection to enable survival.· Fill with seeds or with nesting materials· Turn your backyard into a bird sanctuary· Helps birds conserve energy for winter survivalHang...

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20,000th bird!

21-26 SeptemberBanding occurred on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday this week. Wednesday and Saturday were both extremely windy days so I opted not to band for the saftey of the birds. We had 3 species show up for the first time this fall season on Tuesday. The first was  a hatch year female Ruby-crowned...

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When do Chipmunks hibernate?

The chipmunks' manic feasting means cold weather is near.Image by Gilles Gonthier via FlickrEastern Chipmunks’ lifespan on average is only one year due to predators and man made dangers. They have two breeding seasons. The first begins in February and the second in June. They can have up to nine babies but average four.Many...

Category › Question of the week

Bird body odor: a link to extinction?

Image via WikipediaApparently, New Zealand birds have a body odor problem. This could be a reason why so many native NZ birds are either extinct or on the threatened species list. Associate Professor Jim Briskie from the University of Canterbury has been awarded a Marsden grant to study the role of smell in the lives of NZ...

Category › Quick fun Facts

They Had Stars Upon Thars!

Image via WikipediaThe European Starling Sturnus vulgaris molts its feathers in the fall and the new feather tips are whitish, giving the bird the appearance of “stars” covering their body. Over the winter sunlight and weather dulls the speckled look and the bird becomes uniform dark brown or black.Both sexes also have...

Category › Bird of the week

What are Some Differences in Birds' Feet?

Most birds we observe have four toes, but the exact number of toes and their arrangement, as well as their proportions, varies from family to family. The perching birds we see at the feeders in mid-Michigan usually have anisodactyl feet. That means they have three toes that point forward and one toe that points backward...

Category › Bird Basics

Rare Super Harvest Moon

First full moon on autumnal equinox since 1991.Image by mkelly32 via Flickr. Did you see the Super Harvest Moon? ‘Super’ actually means that the harvest moon happens to fall 6 hours after the Autumnal Equinox. .Unfortunately my view was blocked by thick clouds. Oh well I only have to wait 19 years until the next Super...

Category › Friday Photo

Small Mysterious Black & White Bird Visits Mid-Michigan

Image via WikipediaI saw a new bird in the backyard today. At first glance I thought maybe a Dark-eyed Junco...no...Red-breasted Nuthatch...no...no too early for those birds to visit our feeders in mid-Michigan anyway. I walked close to get a better look at this new bird at the suet feeder. It looks like it might be a...

Category › Bird of the week

Do Woodpeckers Drink Water from Birdbaths?

Woodpeckers (mostly downy and hairy in East Lansing) seem to be the only birds that do not avail themselves of the water in my birdbath. How do they drink? Is there another way I can get water to them? D K.Most woodpeckers can get a lot of liquid through their food and do not drink at baths as often as other birds. Nice...

Category › Question of the week

How Can I Hang a Feeder?

I want to hang a feeder from a tree. Do you have a chain? Yes, Wild Birds Unlimited has chains but we also have Tree Hooks made by the same people that developed our unique Advanced Pole System. They come 12 inches to 6 feet in length. The large end goes over a branch and the little end holds the feeder. There...

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Mid September Birds

15-20 SeptemberNumbers and diversity of birds slowed down a bit this week, but we still managed some nice birds!  There always seems to be a lull in numbers while Gray Catbirds decline and Yellow-rumps have yet to arrive. I didn't get back to the field until Wednesday last week due to family obligations...

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