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Grey colored warbler with grey-black back and bold white wing bars and yellow shoulders and butt

Also known as “Butter Butts” because of their trademark yellow rumps, the Yellow-rumped Warbler is the most abundant and widespread wood-warbler in North America. They are a common migrant in mid-Michigan from August-October and then again in April and May.
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A window feeder is the best way to entertain indoor cats

A lot of our customers start bird feeding to entertain their indoor cats. It is a challenge to keep indoor-only animals stimulated and engaged mentally. A window feeder is one solution.

Whether you are a city or country dweller, if you have a window you can access, you can put up a window bird feeder. You can choose from several styles. Some of our best sellers right now at the Wild BirdsUnlimited East Lansing, Michigan store are the double tray buffet style and the hopper style. (In the summer the best seller is by far the Aspects HummZinger window hummingbird feeder)

Now is the best time to put up a window feeder. As we begin to close our windows in the next few weeks, the cats are going get a little stir crazy. While the sun is still shining, get outside to wash your windows and put up a window feeder (also known to our fur friends as kitty TV).

It’s a win/win situation. Your cats will benefit because they will be occupied for hours and the birds will benefit because they have a reliable source of food. You’ll also be entertained by your cats’ reactions as well as all the neat birds that come up close.

No need to worry that you’ll scare the birds away. I’ve had my face smashed against the window several times to talk to a chickadee and they never seem to mind my animated motioning behind the window.

I like to use the sunflower seeds without the shell or our no-mess blend so there are no shells below the feeder. That way the area remains tidy. But sometimes I use safflower seed if the squirrels take an interest in the feeder. Safflower seed is a seed that most squirrels will avoid.

If you’ve never fed birds before, this is a great way to start. It’s also a great gift idea if you want to give someone a hobby for the holidays.

Related Articles:
Tips and tricks to make your suction cups stick. http://bit.ly/uvCI3o
Which seeds are preferred by wild birds? http://bit.ly/tZKjjf 
Cats go Stir Crazy at the Store! http://bit.ly/ukt8qw
Close-up of oriole at the window feeder: http://bit.ly/rIMsv2
Hummingbirds at the window: http://bit.ly/s5Y3WJ
What says eh-eh, yank-yank? http://bit.ly/vvh2lm
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Online Bird Identification Tool

A lot of the questions I receive deal with identifying birds in peoples’ yards. With just a couple minutes of your time you can help Cornell University build a smart online bird ID tool.

When people notice a new bird, the first question they often ask is, "What's that bird's name?" Cornell Lab of Ornithology is building Merlinto help people find the answer.

Merlin will be a new kind of bird identification tool—one that combines artificial intelligence with input from real-life bird watchers to produce an online "wizard" that helps people ID birds quickly and connects them to more information.

You don't need to know the names of birds to help, just identify the three most obvious colors you see. To help build this online ID tool click HERE  or go to http://www.allaboutbirds.org/labs/
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Fun Woodpecker Trivia

A. How many species of woodpeckers are in the world?
Acorn Woodpecker
  1. 10
  2. 20
  3. 100
  4. over 200
B. What’s the smallest woodpecker in North America?
  1. Downy
  2. Red-headed
  3. Bar-breasted Piculet
  4. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
C. What is the average life span of a wild woodpecker?
  1. 4-11 years
  2. 8-22 years
  3. 16-44 years
  4. 32-88 years
D. What kind of woodpecker was Woody Woodpecker?
  1. Pileated Woodpecker
  2. Ivory-billed Woodpecker
  3. Acorn Woodpecker
  4. Red-bellied Woodpecker
E. What is the woodpecker's favorite feeder?
  1. Suet feeder
  2. Peanut feeder
  3. Mealworm feeder
  4. Seed cylinder Feeder
A. There are over 200 known species of woodpeckers. Many are on the threatened or endangered lists. Two species, the Ivory-billed and the Imperial, may already be extinct.

There are eight woodpeckers found in Michigan.

B. The Downy Woodpecker is the smallest and most common woodpecker in North America. At 6-7 inches in length, this little black and white woodpecker with a red patch on the back of the male’s head is very friendly at the suet feeders.

Bar-breasted Piculet is the smallest known woodpecker in the world. At around 3.25 inches, it is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru.

C. The average lifespan of these wily birds is 4-11 years depending on the species.

D. Accordingto NPR: “It turns out that Walter Lantz, the animator who created Woody Woodpecker, had personally given eminent ornithologist Kimball Garrett a copy of his biography, and in that book it says that Walter and his wife, Grace, while honeymooning in a California cabin, were amused by an acorn woodpeckerwho was poking nuts under the roof shingles. They liked the "little raucous scream" the bird emitted. Grace said to Walter, "Why don't you make him into a character?"”

E. Trick question. A simple suet feeder is an easy way to attract a variety of beautiful woodpeckers but at my house woodpeckers come to a variety of feeders. They are even on my seed feeder. They select the peanuts and sunflower chips out of my no-mess seed blend. These friendly birds that make a “laughing” call when I’m filling the feeders, are very entertaining to have in the yard.

Related Articles: 
What’s the best suet for Michigan wild birds? http://bit.ly/tcKasp
Michigan made suet feeders: http://bit.ly/rbKskX
How many woodpeckers are in Michigan? http://bit.ly/tJ7e6S
Fun Facts about Woodpeckers http://bit.ly/tQ5lwt
How do I Attract Woodpeckers? http://bit.ly/o4CLqI
Woodpeckers of the world: http://www.camacdonald.com/birding/Sampler2-Woodpeckers.html
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When is bird migration over?

I was wondering if the birds have stopped migrating. ~ Fowlerville, Michigan

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 birds shift to different territories.

Mid-Michigan has already said good bye to the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, the orioles and all the other black birds. Most of the warblers and kinglets have already passed through by the end of October too.

Right now I’m watching the White-throated Sparrows making a pit stop in my yard for a few weeks before they continue further south. The first wave of Dark-eyed Juncos are passing through right now too. The Junco’s we see now are probably females and may continue on all the way to Florida. The boys are the ones that winter with us in mid-Michigan so they can be the first in the spring to zip up to the nesting territories and stake a claim.

I’m still waiting to see the White-crowned Sparrows which usually show up in my yard mid-November. Like the white-throated they don’t stick around long but they are a large sparrow with striking white racing stripes on their head. I’m also waiting for the first sighting of the Red-breasted Nuthatches which like to winter in our area.

A lot of birds dependent on open waters like the herons, geese, swans and other waterfowl and shorebirds wait until the water freezes before they move south. The end of October to December can be their migration time.

And while they are flying south a couple of “horny” birds kick off another breeding season. In mid-December you hear the Great Horned Owlcalling for a mate. They actually start to nest in January or February. The Horned Lark also performs an elaborate song-flight courtship display in the beginning of the year. Horned-larks are one of our earliest nesting birds. In some states, nests may be found in February. This can mean that the first set of eggs is often destroyed by snowstorms.

In March the black birds start to return. In April and May lots of other birds are journeying north only to see some birds going back down south again as early as June. So in Michigan we are lucky to always see something interesting in our yard whether they are our local regular birds, fly-by birds, wintering or summering birds. A good field guide can help you remember all the comings and goings of the birds or it might be fun to keep a journal.

Related Articles:
The Journey North: Bird Migration Maps http://bit.ly/pbk4Eb
Great Horned Owl Singing at Night http://bit.ly/qKeKDM
Are Horned Larks Common in Mid-Michigan? http://bit.ly/qmAbt7
How do Birds Migrate? http://bit.ly/nNCI6d  
Most common winter birds in Michigan http://bit.ly/ow20ZD
Bird only in mid-Michigan during the winter http://bit.ly/ojcyP7
What birds migrate from Michigan? http://bit.ly/qa0CVU
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Most common winter birds in Michigan

I'm new to the area. Does Lansing have Cardinals year-round? What birds will I see at the feeder this winter? ~ Lansing, Michgian

Mid-Michigan is lucky enough to see lots of birds during the long cold winter months. I’ve listed some of the most common birds you’ll see and the food they like at feeders.

1. House Sparrow- White Proso Millet, Oil Sunflower seed, Sunflower Chips
2. Black-capped Chickadee- Shelled peanuts, Oil Sunflower seed, Sunflower Chips, Safflower, Nyjer Thistle, Suet, Striped Sunflower seed
3. Northern Cardinal- Oil Sunflower seed, Sunflower Chips, Safflower, Shelled peanuts, Striped Sunflower seed
4. Downy Woodpecker- Peanuts, Oil Sunflower seed, Sunflower Chips, Safflower, Suet
5. White-breasted Nuthatch- Peanuts, Oil Sunflower seed, Sunflower Chips, Safflower, Suet, Striped Sunflower seed
6. Mourning Dove- Oil Sunflower seed, Peanuts, Sunflower Chips, Safflower, White Proso Millet, Nyjer Thistle
7. Red-bellied Woodpecker- Peanuts, Oil Sunflower seed, Sunflower Chips, Safflower, Suet, Striped Sunflower seed
8. Northern Flicker- Peanuts, Oil Sunflower seed, Sunflower Chips, Safflower, Suet, Striped Sunflower seed
9. Dark-eyed Junco- White Proso Millet, Oil Sunflower seed, Sunflower Chips, Nyjer Thistle
10. American Goldfinch- Nyjer Thistle, Sunflower Chips, Oil Sunflower Seed
11. Blue Jay- Peanuts in the Shell, Nuts, Oil Sunflower seed, Sunflower Chips, Safflower, Suet, Striped Sunflower seed
12. Tufted Titmouse- Shelled peanuts, Oil Sunflower seed, Sunflower Chips, Safflower, Suet, Striped Sunflower seed
13. House Finch- Safflower, Nyjer Thistle, Sunflower Chips, Oil Sunflower Seed
14. European Starling- Shelled peanuts, Oil Sunflower seed, Sunflower Chips, Suet, Striped Sunflower seed
15. American Crow- Peanuts, Oil Sunflower seed, Sunflower Chips, Suet, Striped Sunflower seed
16. Cooper’s Hawk- Songbirds, Squirrels, Unrendered Suet
17. Carolina Wren- Shelled peanuts, Oil Sunflower seed, Sunflower Chips, Safflower, Suet, Striped Sunflower seed
18. Eastern Bluebird- Shelled peanuts, Suet, Suet Nuggets, Mealworms
19. American Robin- Shelled peanuts, Suet, Suet Nuggets, Mealworms
20. Cedar Waxwing- Mealworms, Suet Nuggets, Berries and Wild Fruit

Click HERE for the Eastern Seed Preference Guide

Of course there are a lot more birds in Michigan during the winter and they don't just eat from feeders, but this gives you a start. For more information we have Birds of Michigan Field Guides or you can visit our online Bird Guide to identify birds at http://www.allaboutbirds.org/.

Related Articles:
10 Winter Finches in Michigan: http://bit.ly/oL3iCF 
Birds of Michigan Field Guide http://bit.ly/pXv5ZN
What’s the best suet for Michigan wild birds? http://bit.ly/nImz5g 
How to have more colorful birds at your feeder http://bit.ly/qizlNh  
How to Prepare Your Yard for Winter Birdwatching http://bit.ly/q93Men 
What is the best bird feeder? http://bit.ly/qVr7i8
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When do I take down the finch feeder?

This is the first year we have had "finch bags" out for our beautiful little friends. My husband has LOVED giving daily finch reports - "there are 10 on there at one time", etc. We were talking this morning and realized we don't know how long to leave the bags/feeders out. Have looked on line and don't find a definitive answer. Can you answer this question? Thanks for your help! ~ Ginny

I love the American Goldfinches! The great state of Michigan is lucky enough to have goldfinches year round and if you enjoyed watching them in the summer they'll also bring you joy in the winter. They do lose their bright yellow color but when they sing it's like they bring sunshine with them even on the dreariest days.
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And for those of you that only feed during the winter and had left over Nyjer seed from last year, it's probably too dried out to feed to your birds this year. One way to check your seed is to pinch it with your fingernails and see if any oil comes out. The finches use their bills to twist the seed and sip the oil and then drop the shell. If your seed has dried out, your feeder will be skipped. (Wild Birds Unlimited East Lansing, MI receives a fresh load of seed each week).
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Also remember not to cut off the tops of your Marigold, Zinnias, Cosmos, or Coneflowers right now because they're full of tasty seed heads that the Goldfinch love.

And once a month the mesh bags should be brought in and washed in the sink with the diluted vinegar water or thrown into the whites wash. Hang it up to dry and then refill.

I started with the mesh bags too but every spring I would watch a red squirrel shred it and then bundle it up in her mouth, I assume to build a soft nest for her babies. Now I have 5 Wild Birds Unlimited lifetime guarantee metal mesh feeders. Today they are eating like there's no tomorrow: http://youtu.be/YY3jNnq67EI

Related Articles:
How to Attract Goldfinches http://bit.ly/qaVwBA
How long does bird seed stay fresh? http://bit.ly/nIlV3i
How do you recommend cleaning a mesh finch feeder and how often? http://bit.ly/nB7DNJ
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