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Wingtip - Now is the time to get your bird feeders ready for the upcoming winter. Locate them for easy access before the snows deepen. Keep them stocked as birds locate winter food resources. And check the bird bath heater to make sure its working. If the bird bath heater has residue on it from last winter, use a solution of water and vinegar to clean it. Prepare now before the temperatures drop and you'll be glad you did.
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Autumn is definitely in the air and as temperatures begin to fall, so do the leaves. But before you rush out and scour the yard removing all the dead or dying organic matter from summer's past, consider leaving some leafy debris under those shrubs and bushes. You'll be surprised at the number of birds that will rout through this litter feeding on insects and larva that is wintering over. Not only does this provide a great food source for birds, it will also help to protect the plants from the frigid temperatures and provide nutrients as they decay. Many summer flowers and grasses that have gone to seed also provide a great natural food source for birds in your backyard. And all those sticks and branches that have been windblown out of the trees? Pile them up in a corner of your yard. Birds will retreat to this woody pile in times of bad weather and to escape predators. A little less time spent cleaning up in the fall will provide you with more time to enjoy the birds you attract to your backyard.
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Pioneers Park Nature Center
Winter 2016 Newsletter
Check out all the fun programs and special events today. Schedule your fall hay rack rides now
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Bird of the Month
White Crowned Sparrows, as with most all sparrows, forage for food on the ground or in low vegetation. Although they may sometimes take short flights catching insects, they mainly eat seeds of weeds and grasses. During the winter months they may forage in small flocks. Look for White Crowned Sparrows hopping around on the ground near the edges of brushy habitat, or on branches usually below waist level. They're also found in open areas, especially on their breeding grounds, but often with the safety of shrubs or trees nearby.
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Wingtips -
When talking about sparrows, we are talking about our native sparrows, not the English Sparrow also know as the common House Sparrow. The House Sparrow is a Weaver Finch introduced from England in the mid 1850s. By 1900 it was the most populous bird in North America. As a cavity nesting bird it remains an invasive species, not protected by federal law nor covered under the 1917 Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The House Sparrow aggressively competes with many native birds, woodpeckers, nuthatches, and bluebirds to name a few, for nesting sites. They will often destroy the young nestlings of other birds, and at times kill the adults. They should not be encouraged in nest boxes or at bird feeders.
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October is BAT Appreciation Month!
Celebrate independently or alongside BCI (Bat Conservation International)
as they have a 2016 VERY BCI HALLOWEEN
Bats are amazing mammals! More than 1,300 bat species worldwide display an amazing diversity as species evolved over at least 60 million years to survive in wildly varied habitats and food chains. Here are a few other things that you might not have known about bats:
- Bats are mammals that belong to the order Chiroptera. The forelimbs of bats form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight.
- Bats are the second largest group of mammals in the world. The largest mammal group is rodents.
- Bats are vulnerable to extinction, in part because they are among the slowest reproducing mammals on Earth for their size. Most bat species only give birth to one pup, however, some species can give birth to multiples.
- The largest bat colony in the world roosts in Bracken Cave, Texas where over 15 million Mexican free-tailed bats emerge from the cave in large columns to feed on surrounding farmland. This cave is a maternity colony, where females of this species migrate from Mexico every year to give birth.
- Bats are known to eat insects, fruit, nectar, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, small mammals and even other bats. The American false vampire bat for example is a top carnivore and isn't afraid to chow down on smaller bats, frogs and many birds including doves.
- Since at least 1974, biologists have known that some male bats sing every bit as much as songbirds do! The warble for the same reasons: to defend territories and to attract mates.
Halloween Batty Recipes
Looking for a Halloween treat that honors our favorite nocturnal creature? To celebrate the positive contributions bats make to our Halloween foods, we invite you to get involved with some cooking fun!
Help us spread the word about bats and food during this year's
Bat Week (October 24-31) by making one of BCI's batty recipes (
click here) - or better yet, invent one of your own based on the list of bat related ingredients - and then share the results with BCI and fellow bat lovers through social media.
After you prepare your treats, simply snap a photo of your creation and post it, along with a brief note on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Pinterest - be sure to tag BCI and use the hashtag #battytreat. Or just email your food pics and descriptions, and any new recipes to [email protected].
Once all the responses are in, BCI will share the images and a full recipe catalogonline. So get started on your ideas today and help enjoy some batty treats for trick-or-treat season!
Source citation: www.batcon.org
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Dave's October Bird Chatter
The ducks and geese are becoming restless for their flight to southern regions where open water will be abundant all winter long. They are among the last of the migratory birds to head south ahead of approaching cold weather. As with most birds, the trip south is relaxed and unhurried. Area lakes are a great place to view the many species of waterfowl on the move. (CLICK)
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Progress Report of Wild Bird Habitat Store's Expansion
On October 1, 2016, the Wild Bird Habitat Stores will be celebrating 24 years as Lincoln's only backyard bird feeding specialty store with the largest selection of bird feeding and birding products in Nebraska. We'd like to thank all our customers who over the years have helped make Wild Bird Habitat the most successful birding retailer in the U.S. among thousands of other retail birding outlets. In 2015 Lincoln's Wild Bird Habitat Stores were awarded "Best U.S. Birding Retailer" by leaders in the bird feeding industry, one of the largest industries in the country serving over 71 million Americans.
Our expansion of the Wild Bird Habitat Store's south Lincoln location in the Alamo Plaza is moving forward. The behind the scenes expansion of the back room is complete, and on October 10th the wall adding 1300 square feet to our existing retail store will be removed.
The added space will not only allow us to offer more of the latest birding products and improve our now over crowded bird feeding displays, but add new lines of products. We will increase our quality line of Diamond Brand all natural pet foods, including the number one rated dog food "Taste of The Wild". Increase our NON GMO high quality pigeon and poultry feeds. The additional space will also allow us to offer a full line of quality nature related gift items,
We are on schedule for a GRAND OPENING in November with special offers, contests, presentations, and customer appreciation sales. We will keep you informed about this upcoming event.
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The days are getting shorter, nights becoming cooler, and the birds are getting restless. As we near the end of summer, the avian calendar is beginning to signal the approach of autumn. Many winter birds have begun to migrate. There have been dozens of reports of hummingbirds gorging themselves at the feeders. Shore birds scouring the mudflats of area lakes. Blackbirds flocking together getting ready to move south. And bird watchers anticipating the return of migrating native sparrows and warblers, which will be begin moving through the Central Great Plains through October.
But what are our resident birds that will grace us all winter long up to? With the end of the nesting season their sights have changed from defending territories to searching out the numerous food sources required to sustain them during the upcoming winter. They will establish a half dozen or more feeding sites that they will rotate around to during the winter months, never relying on a single food source. Some of those sources will be natural while others supplemental, such as backyard bird feeders. That is why it is important that you keep your feeders filled during this period, or if you only feed during the winter, to get those feeders ready now. That way your yard will be part of these bird's daily route and you'll enjoy plenty of activity at your feeders as the weather changes.
Some people may notice fewer birds at their feeders during late summer and early fall. One reason is with the ripening of summer's vegetation there is now an abundance of natural foods. Many birds will take advantage of this new crop of berries and grains knowing it will not last. They are however aware of the supplemental food offered at backyard bird feeders, and as the natural food stocks decline, or are covered with snow, they will begin to frequent those feeders that are kept filled. So now is the time to clean the feeders and make any necessary repairs, Possibly expand your backyard bird feeding program with a new feeder or two, and most important, keep the bird feeders filled.
Fall is also a great time to consider planting some habitat for birds. "Landscaping for Wildlife" by Carroll Henderson and is available only at Wild Bird Habitat is a great publication designed for the upper Midwest and Great Plains. It lists hundreds of plant species beneficial to wildlife and all their attributes. This book truly becomes a bible for those wanting to increase the habitat in their backyard or on their acreage. So prepare the backyard now, keep your feeders filled, then when the winter winds blow, you'll have a yard full of birds to enjoy and brighten your days.
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Why Birds Migrate
Every year, twice a year, a phenomenon happens in the wildlife kingdom that is unprecedented
anywhere in the world. Bird migration. The Arctic Tern travels 25,000 miles annually. The Bobolink travels over 12,000 miles. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds fly 12 to 14 hours non-stop over the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico. All over the world birds make remarkable journeys in the spring and fall. Some only weighing half an ounce but travel great distances. So why do birds migrate? They have been doing so for millions of years. Read
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Enjoy the fall bird migration in Nebraska. Why Nebraska?
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Go Birding in Nebraska at
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Go birding in Nebraska at
NEBRASKA METRO BIRDING |
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Go birding in Nebraska at
CHICKEN DANCE TRAIL |
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Go birding in Nebraska at
NEBRASKA FLYWAY |
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Go Birding in Nebraska at
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More about Birding in Nebraska
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Birds Establishing Winter Feeding Resources
Wingtips:
I can't urge everyone enough to keep your feeders filled during September and October as our resident birds, and those northern birds that will be arriving before long, will be identifying winter food sources. They will stake our numerous natural food plots along with supplemental foods in backyard bird feeders. With natural food sources plentiful this time of year birds may make less trips to your bird feeders, but they know where those well stocked feeders are and will certainly take advantage of them as colder weather settles in. Don't get discouraged by the blackbirds at the feeders who are getting ready to migrate south. Keep your bird feeders filled and you'll be rewarded with your favorite birds as we enter the fall and winter months
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Best selling
Squirrel Proof Bird Feeders
Brome Bird Care line of squirrel proof bird feeders are the only truly guaranteed squirrel proof wild bird feeders! At Wild Bird Habitat Stores you will find a complete line of Brome squirrel proof bird feeders.
Brome Bird Care, located in Knowlton, Quebec, Canada, is home to the Squirrel Buster™ brand of squirrel proof bird feeders. Lead by its founder, Paul Cote, and supported by an impressive list of patents, Squirrel Buster feeders have come to be recognized as the leaders in the squirrel proof category. All Squirrel Buster feeders work the same way. When a squirrel lands on a Squirrel Buster, its weight automatically closes the seed ports, denying access to the seed but not harming the squirrels in any way.
All Brome Bird Care feeders, designed with the planet in mind, are 100% recyclable and certified lead free. They need never be discarded because of a missing part as spare parts are always available. Maintaining, repairing, preserving and recycling are essential for our future.
Brome Bird Care Squirrel Proof Bird Feeders come with warranties from two years to lifetime on the Brome Plus. Parts are always available for repairs even if the factory warranty expires.
"These are our best selling line of squirrel proof bird feeders. Functional squirrel proof bird feeders backed by no-frills factory warranty. Of the Brome Bird Care line of squirrel proof bird feeders, The
BROME CLASSIC and the
BROME PEANUT are our top sellers. You not only have ongoing support from Brome Bird Care but also from the Wild Bird Habitat Stores with our 100% satisfaction guarantee".
Dave of Nebraska's Wild Bird Habitat Stores in Lincoln
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Black Oil Sunflower Seed
25 LB Bags - $11.49
- Premium Grade A
- Pesticide Free
- Certified NON-MGO
Some outlets have 20 LB. bags of black oil sunflower seed for just $9.99. Sound like a great deal? Its 4 cents a pound more than Wild Bird Habitat's high quality black oil sunflower seed. Big box stores have 50 LBs. for just $17.99. Most those seeds never reached maturity, were infested with insects, or had
pathogens
and were sold off to economy bird feed packagers at a low cost. You can't fool the birds with low quality wild bird feed or mixes loaded with filler seeds. Trust us. Its like the old adage: "You get what you pay for". Provide quality wild bird feed and you'll attract more and a bigger variety of birds. Wild Bird Habitat has 23 years of experience as backyard bird feeding specialists and we know the difference a quality wild bird feed can make in your backyard.
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Best Woodpecker Suet Plugs
Attractor High Energy Suet Plugs available at
the Wild Bird Habitat Stores
- Roasted Peanut Attractor Plugs
- Sunflower Attractor Plugs
- No-Melt Peanut Butter Attractor Plugs
By the pack or by the case, woodpeckers love 'em
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Wingtips: Dave's Favorite Bird Feeder
Platform Bird Feeders
Elevated platform bird feeders are another of the non-exclusive bird feeders. It does not exclude any birds. Large and small birds alike can access it very easily along with some birds that typically feed on the ground.
- A non-exclusive bird feeder that is very versatile.
- Can be hung or mounted on a pole or post. Some have a roof to protect the seed from inclement weather. Screen or perforated steel or nylon bottoms prevent water from accumulating in the feeder and helps to dry out seed if it becomes wet.
- Available in a variety of durable materials. (Cedar,
metal, recycled plastic and acrylic)
- Recommended feeds: Black oil sunflower seed, safflower seed, sunflower hearts, or any nut based mix combination. Also a good feeder to use with general wild bird mixes.
- A preferred feeder by Northern Cardinals
Excellent bird feeder for peanuts in the shell, shelled peanuts, meal worms, and fruits. We recommend using a squirrel baffle
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Become a Better Birder
Enjoy birds more with the help of the world leader in bird biology and research; the Cornell Bird Lab. Get in-depth bird identification and learn more about each species. Become a Citizen Scientist. The Cornell Bird Lab provides the most comprehensive look at birds, what they are doing, latest research, feeding birds, watching birds and a variety of birding topics you'll find no where else. Learn all about birds with the help of the Cornell Bird Lab at
All About Birds
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The Cornell Lab Bird Academy
Broaden your understanding of birds
- Free and premium content for all knowledge levels
- Learn everything-from birding basics to college level ornithology
- Courses, interactives, videos, articles, and all kinds of bird-ology
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BIRD ID APPS
Cornell Bird Lab offers two apps that includes a wizard to help you identify birds. Best of all there is no charge for these apps. Check them out and start identifying the birds you see today.
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Why Should U.S. Bird Enthusiasts Care About
the Canadian Boreal Forest?
The Boreal Songbird Initiative (BSI) is a non-profit organization dedicated to outreach and education about the importance of the North American Boreal Forest to birds, other wildlife, and the global environment.
As the voice for boreal birds, the Boreal Songbird Initiative is committed to protecting the Canadian Boreal Forest-the largest intact forest on Earth-on behalf of the billions of migratory birds that rely on it.
Why is this United States-based organization working on Canadian forests? The North American Boreal Forest-the majority of which is in Canada-is the largest intact forest left on Earth and is critical to North American birds. It also stores remarkable amounts of carbon and is the largest source of unfrozen fresh water on Earth, helping to keep our planet cool and our waters pure. Although we are primarily driven by the need to conserve boreal bird habitat, we recognize that these other values are also important reasons for conserving large portions of this majestic forest.
The mission is to protect critical bird habitat within the boreal forest for the billions of birds that call the boreal home. The BSI supports the
Boreal Forest Conservation Framework
, which calls for the conservation of at least 50% of the boreal forest and the application of leading-edge sustainable development standards in the remaining lands. The boreal forest-North America's bird nursery-is a biodiversity hotspot that sustains billions of migratory birds and countless other wildlife. The race to develop the boreal forest is on, and without science-based conservation strategies much of the forest and the countless values it provides will be gone before we know it.
Each spring, between 1 to 3 billion birds begin making their way up to North America's boreal forest. Some have shorter trips from the Lower 48 while others begin their journeys as far away as southern South America. During peak migration, millions of individual birds may cross the U.S. border into Canada toward the boreal forest on any given day or night. Many species of birds do in fact migrate at night, so that the migration of these huge numbers of birds can go largely undetected. Many will stop in places scattered throughout the U.S. along the way, becoming the beloved backyard birds of spring and fall migration we have come to know and cherish.
Of species regularly found within Canada and the United States:
- 80% of waterfowl species regularly breed in the boreal
- 63% of all finch species regularly breed in the boreal
- 53% of warbler species regularly breed in the boreal
Attend the documentary THE MESSENGER at the Mary Riepma Ross Theater in Lincoln, NE. April 22 - 28, 2016, presented by Nebraska's Wild Bird Habitat Stores.
Wingtip: Although up to 3 billion birds enter the Boreal Forest every spring to breed, more than 6 billion birds migrate out of the Boreal Forest every fall after the nesting season to or through the United States.
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Wild Bird Habitat Stores
recipients of the 2015
Wildlife Communicator Award
from the
Nebraska Wildlife Federation
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Wild Bird Habitat Stores
recipients of the 2015
Earth Keeper Award
from the
Wachiska Audubon Society
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Environmentally Friendly Bird Feeders
Although the durability and natural look of cedar bird feeders continue to be preferred, the new line of feeders made from 100% post consumer recycled plastic is gaining in popularity. Many of these bird feeders have a lifetime warranty against fading, pealing, cracking, and chipping. They clean up like brand new, even after years of use. And speak of easy cleaning, many of the cedar and recycled plastic feeders we stock have removable perforated steel bottoms. This also allows moisture to pass through and the seed to remain dry.
Made in the USA
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Wild Bird Habitat Stores
recipients of the 2015
Best U.S. Birding Retailer
from the
Gold Crest & the Bird Feeding Industry
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Nutra Safflower for Goldfinch
Nyjer thistle seed has traditionally been the preferred seed of the American Goldfinch. The cost of Nyjer seed can vary greatly as it is a product imported to North America from India and Ethiopia and they set the price, and the price is rising once again. Nyjer is an oil seed which is why it is enjoyed so much by finches. In countries where it is grown this seed is crushed and used for cooking oil, much as in North America we crush black oil sunflower and safflower seed for cooking oil.
At Wild Bird Habitat Store we have received many reports and have had personal experience that Goldfinch readily feed on Nutra Safflower seed. In fact they may prefer it over Nyjer thistle seed. This could be a great alternative to supplementing Nyjer thistle seed for attracting Goldfinch. One benefit of Nutra Safflower is that this is a product grown by American farmers.
Nutra Safflower is available in 20 and 50 pound bags at the Wild Bird Habitat Store locations or by bulk quantity.
Internet customers can order Nutra Safflower seed on line. Although Wild Bird Habitat Stores Internet store offers free shipping on orders over $100, there is
no free shipping on wild bird feeds. That allows us to keep our Internet wild bird feed prices low.
Order Nutra Safflower on line.
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Peanut Feeders - A picture is worth a thousand words
photos by Dave of Wild Bird Habitat
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Caged Peanut Feeders -
Feed woodpeckers not squirrels & starlings
photos by Dave of Wild Bird Habitat
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Nebraska Birding Trails Website
Has a New Look
The Nebraska Birding Trails was developed in 2003 listing more than 400 birding sites across Nebraska. Chaired by Dave Titterington of Nebraska's Wild Bird Habitat Stores with members of the Nebraska Bird Partnership's Birding Trails Work-group which was comprised of members from government agencies, the University of Nebraska, Nebraska Travel and Tourism, Nebraska Ornithologists Union, and conservation groups and individual birders, it was an immediate success. Recently the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission with the help of Nebraska Educational Television revised the Nebraska Birding Trails website to give it a new look and make navigation locating birding sites easier. We hope you check it out at:
NEBRASKA BIRDING TRAILS
Two other websites developed by the Educational Work-group of the Nebraska Bird Partnership have also been revised.
PROJECT BEAK -
Project BEAK is an interactive, web-based curriculum that contains scientifically accurate information about avian conservation, avian form, function and other adaptations that help birds survive, Nebraska's unique avian biodiversity, Nebraska's threatened and endangered birds, plus video clips, interactive games, quizzes and diagrams, additional resources and links, and classroom lesson plans.
This website is devoted to helping Nebraskans and visitors identify and learn about the over 400 species of birds which can be found in our state. Are you trying to identify a bird you saw? Use "search by characteristics", where you can search by size, color, range, and habitat. Or, you can search or browse the full Nebraska bird list by common name, scientific name, or bird group.
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At the Bird Expo in Mexico, MO the Wild Bird Habitat Stores
received the Best Birding Retailer of 2015 Award
Over the 23 years Lincoln's Wild Bird Habitat Stores have been in business they have received numerous awards. These awards included The Lincoln Journal Star, Howard Wiegers "Conservationist of the Year Award", the Edna Shields "Sharing Nature with Children Award", the "Earthkeeper Award" and "Lyman's Award" from Wachiska Audubon, and the Better Business Bureau's "Integrity Award". On September 30th, 2015, the Wild Bird Habitat Stores were recognized by leaders in the birding industry as the 2015 Best Birding Retailer of the Year by leaders in the biding industry. On October 27th, 2015 at the Nebraska Wildlife Federation's Wildlife Awards Banquet the Wild Bird Habitat Stores were honored
to receive the "2015 Wildlife Communicator Award".
The successes Wild Bird Habitat has been recognized for is only because of the friends and customers our business has generated, our dedicated staff, and all those who continue to support bird conservation, environmental education, and outdoor birding recreation that Wild Bird Habitat has been honored and privileged to partner with over the past 23 years. We thank everyone for their support.
Dave, Linda, & Katie Titterington
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South Lincoln, NE location
5601 South 56th Street
In the Alamo Plaza
North Lincoln, NE location
4840 Orchard Street
in the little white house
Toll Free Phone: (800) 606-2553
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