Category: Bird and Hummingbird Feeders

Everyone is concerned about the environment.  A great way to participate in  “going green” is to purchased items made from recycled material.  Woodlink has a great line of Going Green Bird Feeders that will add a great earth-conscious aspect to your bird feeding.  All the Going Green Bird Feeders are made from recycled milk jugs and/or other 90% post consumer plastic  Do not think the bird feeders look like plastic!  The plastic is colored to blend in to your yard and most have a  faux wood grain look on the plastic which adds to the natural look.

The Going Green Recycled Plastic Ranch Bird Feederis a great bird feeder.  The green and brown feeder (faux brown wood)  has a classic shape for that traditional look.     Seed is protected from moisture by the roof.  A center hinge on the roof allows one side to open for filling or cleaning. The rectangular base and frame allows the food to be contained, with 1 quart of seed  held in the reservoir.  There are 2 feeding areas on either side of the base.  Seed levels can be monitored thorugh the clear plastic panels and also remove for a more thorough cleaning.  A cable is included to hang the feeder.  Dimensions: 10″L x 8″W x 8″H  Made in the USA.

 Also available are Going Green Suet Feeders, like the popular Going Green Bottom Style Suet Feeder.   Suet feeders help to attract only the desirable small clinging birds and keeps out the nuisance ones!  Again, this feeder is made from  90% recycled plastic. Plastic coated wire screen protects birds’ beaks when feeding. A cable is included to hang the feeder.  Dimensions: 10″ L x 8″ D x 4.5 “H

 Always remember to have fresh water available for the wild birds you feed.

Use the Going Green Bird Feeders for great bird feeders and help the environment at the same time.

True or False: Only a few birds use bird baths, so it’s not worth having one.

FALSE!!

On the contrary, all birds need a clean water source not just for drinking, but also for bathing and preening.

Many birds that are not interested in seed, suet or nectar may still visit backyards where a good bird bath or other backyard water source is available.

Not only do birds love bird baths, but us humans do to!  The sites and sounds of birds congregating and bathing in a birdbath is one of the joys of birdwatching.

Finally – mosquitoes love birdbaths too, if they are stagnant and not freshened often.  So if you have a birdbath, use a product like mosquito dunks to keep those nasty pests out of there!

Pictured to the right is our Lily Leaf Pedestal Bird Bath – at a great price, it is a customer favorite.  Just looks gorgeous in your yard or garden.

What is the purpose of a window birdfeeder?  Well, they are a perfect way to enjoy birds up close!  This is great for small children (of course, they need to learn not to bang on the window), the elderly who can’t get out to  watch the birds in the yard and of course, anyone in the household that  just wants to enjoy the beauty of the birds from inside the home.  Did you know that window feeders are a great way to keep birds from colliding into the windows. The birds will see the feeder and slow down to land on it.

 Window birdfeeders are  lightweight stick to windows with suction cups that are attached to the feeder. A favorite of  mine is the  Aspects Window Cafe. It is completely clear so you can see the seed level easily and has a  clear roof to that serves to  protect the birds and the seeds from the rain.  There is a clear removable seed reservoir tray for the birds to feast on the seeds.   All Aspects Window Feeders feature patented easily removable seed trays for easy filling and cleaning.  The 3/4 quart capacity means less time between filling the feeder.

The Aspects Window Cafe is made of quality construction. It is constructed entirely of virtually unbreakable UV stabilized polycarbonate. In addition, the manufacturer offers a limited lifetime warranty.

In addition to the Aspects Window Cafe, there are many other window bird feeders to chose.  A window bird feeder is the perfect feeder for anyone who wants to get close to the birds in their yard, while in the comfort of your home.

Did you know that Brown finches that turn yellow are American Goldfinches?

These 4-5 inch long birds, with a wingspan of 7-9 inches, change from having dull winter feathers to brilliant breeding plumage in the spring. American Goldfinches are unique in that all four subspecies molt in both spring and fall.

Goldfinches love to eat Thistle from a birdfeeder like the Thistle Nyjer Haven pictured to the right.

In September, following the breeding season, American Goldfinches shed their feathers completely. Males lose their canary plumage, and their black wings and tails, marked with white bars, turn dull black, with buff-colored bars. They regrow dull, medium-brown or tan body feathers with an olive tinge and some yellow at the shoulders and face. They will lose their black caps completely.

In spring, American Goldfinch males transform into breeding birds with brilliant lemon yellow feathers.

Their bright white rumps, contrasting with their bright black and white wings and tails, are visible in flight. Males grow black caps as they adopt plumage designed to attract a female. Even their bills change from black to a brilliant orange for the breeding season of July to September.

Females are a dull yellow-brown shade all year, though their plumage does turn slightly more yellow after the spring shed.

TOP WILD BIRD PRODUCTS

Don’t stop the suet feeding just yet. Those little songful beauties have just traveled thousands of miles to land in your backyard and need some fattening up!

Many wild bird lovers will offer suet during the winter months and then move to seeds and nuts in the summer.  It’s a good idea to wait until the June timeframe to switch UNLESS you are in a very warm climate that would be likely to melt the suet.  Even then, there are many no-melt brands of suet that may be perfect for your situation.

Traveling great distances to reach their breeding grounds, wild birds use alot of calories.  Nest building, breeding, defending territories and raising young requires a lot of energy and suet provides the much needed energy-rich nutrition.

So hang on a couple more months and buy a couple extra suet cakes to help them along after their long, long journey!

With spring’s arrival, it is time to prepare for new and returning birds who will use the back yard to dine and nest.

Here are a few tips to make note of this wild bird season:

• Use a coarse brush and hot soapy water to clean accumulated debris from wooden feeders. Do not use chemicals because wood is porous and will absorb them. It is important to rinse and dry the feeders thoroughly before refilling them with seed.
• To clean tube-feeders, soak them in a mild bleach solution and use a long-handled brush to scour the crevices but take care to rinse. Again, allow the feeders to dry completely.
• For hard-to-reach places in hummingbird feeders, place uncooked rice inside the feeder and add a solution of one-part vinegar to four-parts water to the top of the feeder. Replace the lid and shake vigorously. Once the feeder is clean, discard the rice and solution and rinse and dry the feeder thoroughly. Before adding fresh nectar, clean the ports with a small brush.
• A combination of elbow grease and hot soapy water is the best technique to refresh bird baths. If using a mild bleach solution to help control algae, use plenty of clear water and rinse several times. Vinegar and water helps remove mineral deposits.

Northern Cardinals are a medium-sized songbird with short, rounded wings.

They are about 9 inches in length, they have  a long tail, a heavy conical bill, and a crest. They are beautiful birds and most birdwatchers love to have them come to their feeders.

ABOUT THE MALE CARDINAL

Males are nearly all brilliant red.  The coral red bill is surrounded by a mask of black that extends to a dark eye and includes the chin and throat. Legs and feet are dark red.

ABOUT THE FEMALE CARDINAL

The female is soft grayish brown on the back with variable areas of red on the tail, crest, and wings.  The underparts are a warm pinkish brown.  A female Cardinal’s coral red bill is also surrounded by darker but not black feathers, so her mask is not as distinct as the male’s.

Females are slightly smaller than males.

The adult Cardinal food consist of insects, spiders, wild fruits, berries, and weed seeds. Preferring to perch while feeding at bird feeders, the ideal cardinal bird feeder is the hopper style and the window hopper pictured to the right is the perfect feeder for Cardinals.

Two seed types that these birds like are, Black-oil sunflower seed and safflower seed.

It has been unseasonably warm across much of the United States and that trend is no different where we live.

RachelsRobin.com is headquartered near the Detroit area. The last few days have reached mid to upper 70’s and the nights are not that much cooler, a great time to open the windows for a cool breeze at night.

Shockingly, this morning the sounds of birds awoke me that sounded like they were on the pillow next to me! They were loud! It was not only a normal wake up call – it was a wake up call to start putting out the feeders and seed. The chances are slim that it will be a late spring.

All things point to an early spring and that means you must get the birds to get into the habit to come to your yard rather than the competition (the guy down the street, right?)

The best way to ensure that you have many, many more mornings of beautiful bird song – is to get the birdfeeders out now. Pictured to the right is a new design window feeder that your birds will flock to and give you that desired wakeup call!

Happy beginning of spring and don’t forget to use coupon: green (all lowercase to save $5 on your order) — cart total > $49 / one coupon per order / expires March 30.

TOP WILD BIRD PRODUCTS

The hummingbird may be the busiest bird around.  Who doesn’t like to see the little hummingbirds flit between the  nectar of the flowers, eating  bugs and insects and  sipping from humming bird feeders the nectar syrup.

Hummingbirds can fly in every direction, left, right, up, down, backwards, and yes even upside down. The average hummingbird flaps it wings about 50 or so times a second.; and this why
all you can see a blur, not the flapping wings. Their feet are very tiny and can be used to perch with, but not hop around on.

Hummingbirds have a high body temperature, high heart rate and high breathing rate. Because of this they have a high metabolism- higher than any other animal. In order to maintain the high
metabolism and energy needed to fly about, they will consume anywhere 2 to 3 times their body weight in food each day.

There are so many hummingbird feeders available from the traditional saucer style to the bottle style like the
Glass HummingBird Feeder Pinch-Waist – 16 oz shown in the picture, to the unique style hummingbird feeders.

The Glass HummingBird Feeder Pinch-Waist – 16 oz by Perky-Pet features a base with 4 individual feeding ports surrounded by a yellow flower shape., a full-circle perch and holds 16 ounces of nectar.This  popular pinch waist model nectar feeder  has long
been a customer’s favorite.  The perches can be removed if desired, to exclude other birds from using
the feeder as the hummingbird will gladly feed without perching . The glass reservoir’s clear color allows you to monitor the nectar levels.
The feeders is easy to clean and refill.  Simply unscrew the bottle from the plastic base to clean and refill.  Included is a hanger to hand the feeder on a  branch or hook.  Made in the USA.

For best results use Perky Pet Clear Instant Hummingbird Nectar.  You can make your own, but a premade is so much easier to use and store.

For homemade hummingbird food use 1 part white granulated table sugar and 4 parts of regular tap water. Stir the sugar into tap water as you bring the mixture to boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Do not boil longer or the water will evaporate giving you a higher sugar concentration which will attract many insects. Totally cool the hummingbird food. Once cooled you can add what you need to your feeder. Youcan store any leftovers for up to 7 days in the refrigerator to use later. After 7 days discard.

NEVER use honey, fruit, brown sugar, Jell-O or red food coloring in your feeder.   Honey ferments rapidly and can kill hummingbirds. Red dye is not necessary to color the water to attract birds to the  feeder. There are reports of red dye being harmful to hummingbirds.