It's Hummingbird time

Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds begin migrating into Michigan mid-April and by Mother’s day they have probably settled into their nesting territories.

If you haven’t put your feeder up, what are you waiting for? It’s not too late! Hummingbirds don’t need your feeder to survive, but they might appreciate a reliable source of food with this cold spring we’ve been experiencing. Also these incredible little birds are fascinating to watch and a hummingbird feeder can bring them up close.

Only about 50% of all hummers survive their first year. Cold weather takes a toll on all hummer species because their high-energy requirements don’t allow them to go without food for long.

When they aren’t at the feeder, hummingbirds find nectar from a variety of flowers as well as sap from trees. Throughout the day a hummer drinks more than half its body weight in nectar. But that pointy hummingbird bill isn’t only for sipping nectar; it’s also made for snatching bugs out of the air.

Hummingbirds eat a lot of insects and spiders. They are excellent hunters. Hummingbirds can catch insects in flight, or pluck them from leaves, or catch spiders from their webs. (Sometimes I suggest throwing old fruit or banana peels near your hummingbird feeders to attract fruit flys for the hummers.)

When a hummingbird goes for an insect, it rushes at it with its mouth wide open, and the lower half of its bill can bend downward, even though it has no joint. But they're so fast it takes a camera that films 500 frames a second to capture the move.
 
PBS’s Nature produced an interesting documentary that explains how these tiny birds survive. You can watch the full episode, Hummingbirds: Magic in the Air, online at: http://video.pbs.org/video/1380512531/

Blue black and white bird with a white wing spot

Customers have been reporting sightings of the Black-throated Blue Warbler at the suet feeders. A common migrant through mid-Michigan May through the beginning of June, these birds are a treat to see!

Males look dark black on top with a white wing spot and white belly. But when the sun hits, the feathers on his back turn a dark blue. The female which is olive brown and tan with a faint black eyebrow, looks very different in appearance from the male.

Black-throated Blue Warblers nest in northern Michigan. We see them in the spring and then they’ll pass through mid-Michigan again mid-August to late September.

The Black-throated Blue Warbler forages in low vegetation, sometimes catching insects in flight. They eat mainly beetles, caterpillars, butterflies and moths, flies, bugs, and spiders.

They build an interesting nest using cobwebs and spit to glue bark together and line it with soft moss, pine needles and animal hair. The nest is usually constructed in a shrub 3ft off the ground in large undisturbed deciduous and mixed-deciduous forests up north.

Listen for their slow, wheezy, rising song of I’m lay-zeeee throughout the day during migration.

Related Articles:

- Attracting Michigan Songbirds http://goo.gl/Gmn0b

- Do we stop feeding suet in the summer? http://goo.gl/KM80C

- Best field guide for Michigan birds http://bit.ly/vPOMx1

- Warblers in Michigan http://goo.gl/WMMGs

Tips to help choose the best backyard binoculars

Need help in selecting a good pair of binoculars. Basically for back yard. Can you help?

Answer these questions to get a better handle on what you really need:

How much magnification do you need?
Making the image 8 or 10 times closer with binoculars is the most popular choice.

8x binoculars work well in all terrain and in a wide variety of situations because images tend to be brighter with wider fields of view. The large view makes it easier to follow fast moving birds in thick woodland environments, scan for animals from a distance, and to follow action in sporting events or at the theater.

10x binoculars give you more detail for viewing raptors, waterfowl, and large wildlife, and are preferred for observing at longer distances and in more open terrain. Keep in mind that you need a steady hand. It takes very little hand tremor to affect your view.

Do your binoculars need to be waterproof?
Most standard binoculars will stand up to light rain and humidity. But if bad weather is a possibility, then get a waterproof binocular.

Will you wear eyeglasses or sunglasses?
Constantly taking your glasses on and off is not only frustrating, but it will slow you down when tracking fast-moving birds. Twist up eye cups allow you to twist the eye cups up to give you the perfect eye relief when you aren’t wearing glasses and twist down the eye cups when you wear glasses.

Full Size Binoculars or Compact?
Compact binoculars (like Vortex Vanquish 8x26 binoculars) are small enough to fit in a pocket while you're at work in the yard. These small binoculars will be bright enough for daytime use and, if light gathering isn't an issue, are easier to travel with and take along for walks, concerts and football games.

Full-Size Binoculars (like Eagle Optics Denali 8x42 or 10x42 binoculars) will provide better image quality than compact binoculars. Full-size binoculars will gather enough light to show good color and definition from dawn to dusk.

Our most popular binocular is:
Eagle Optics Denali 8x42 Roof Prism Binocular

Field of View: 408 feet/1000 yards
Eye Relief: 18 mm
Close Focus: 7.0 feet
Weight: 21.9 ounces
Dimensions (HxW): 5.4 x 5.0 in.
Weatherproofing:Waterproof/Fog-proof

The Denali's crisp, contrasting views work hard when scanning across open fields. Phase correction enhances resolution, contrast, and overall sharpness. Fully multi-coated lenses provide maximum brightness and true colors.

Denali is waterproof and fog proof for durability you can count on in any weather. Waterproofing seals optics against water damage. Fog proofing prevents fogging of internal lenses. Ergonomic styling provides comfortable handling. Twist-up eyecups adjust for full-field viewing even with eyeglasses.

The Eagle Optics Denali 8x42 Roof Prism Binocular comes with:
Rainguard, tethered objective lens covers, neck strap, carry case, and an Eagle Optics Platinum Protection Unconditional Transferable Lifetime Warranty.

Photo Share: Cute Canada Warbler

The Canada Warbler is little yellow and gray warbler with a white eye ring and black speckled neck. These warblers come in to mid-Michigan at the end of May and look to nest in wet low-lying areas of a mixed woods.

Hikers might see them pop up occasionally from dense shrubs. Females build a loose cup nest on mossy stumps or upturned trees. By August most are done nesting and are already on their way back to their wintering grounds in South America.

Listen for the song of this bird, a loud chip chewy sweet dichetty and low chup's calls.

If anyone would like to share a photograph of nature send it to bloubird@gmail.com and I'll put it on the Friday Photo posts.  

Related Articles:

- Attracting Michigan Songbirds http://goo.gl/Gmn0b

- Do we stop feeding suet in the summer? http://goo.gl/KM80C

- Best field guide for Michigan birds http://bit.ly/vPOMx1

- Warblers in Michigan http://goo.gl/WMMGs

Some good reasons to feed suet in the spring

Spring is a time when a lot of birds fly thousands of miles to return to their Michigan nesting grounds. When they reach your yard they are exhausted and looking for a quick high protein meal to help them recover. Some cold days in May, I've seen different warblers, wrens and my regular woodpeckers stopping to fuel up on my suet feeder. Another good reason to always keep that feeder full!

To choose a suet that attracts the widest variety of birds, the first ingredient should always be rendered beef suet. Some people feed straight suet only. Straight beef suet will deter starlings and blackbirds at the suet feeder if they become overwhelming.  If you want to offer more protein and flavor the next ingredient should usually be peanuts or tree nuts.

Never, never buy suet where milo, oats, wheat, processed grain by-products or artificial flavorings are in the ingredients. These filler ingredients are used to make a cheaper cake but the birds have to pick around and pick out all this filler to reach a little suet.

All of the suets at the Wild Birds Unlimited - East Lansing, MI store are made with only the highest quality processed beef kidney fat. It is the most concentrated source of energy you can offer wild birds.

Our best seller is the peanut butter suet cake, which has only three ingredients: rendered beef fat, chopped peanuts and peanut butter. Again, no milo, no wheat, no corn, and no millet - no filler ingredients!

If you have a problem with squirrels or other wildlife eating your suet try our Hot Pepper Suet. It has rendered beef suet, ground peanuts and capsicum pepper. Capsicum contains capsaicin, a chemical that that doesn’t harm but can produce a strong burning sensation in the mouth of squirrels. Most mammals find this unpleasant, whereas birds are unaffected.

Related Articles:

- Attracting Michigan Songbirds http://goo.gl/Gmn0b

- Do we stop feeding suet in the summer? http://goo.gl/KM80C

- Best field guide for Michigan birds http://bit.ly/vPOMx1

- Warblers in Michigan http://goo.gl/WMMGs

Watch for Indigo Buntings

Male Indigo Bunting

Indigo Buntings are a dark gray or black bird about the size of a goldfinch. When the sun hits the male his feather structure refracts the sun to make him appear a brilliant indigo blue.  In mid-Michigan, we often see them at the finch or sunflower bird feeders.

Buntings can travel thousands of miles in the spring from their southern wintering grounds to their breeding grounds at the top of Florida to the bottom of Canada and as far east as Maine and as far west as Nevada. They will stop in many yards on their journey looking to refuel. Migration takes place in April and May and then again in September and October.

Indigos like a variety of food, including small seeds, nuts, berries, insects, mosquitoes, flies, aphids, small spiders, buds, goldenrod, thistle, grasses, and herbs.

Female Indigo Bunting at nest

At my feeders they like the Nyger Thistle and the No-Mess blend which has the sunflower chips, peanuts, and millet without the hulls.

The only way to get them to stay the whole summer is if you live in an area where they like to breed. Indigo buntings nest in brushy and weedy habitats along the edges of farmland, woods, roads, and railways.

According to Birds of Michigan by Ted Black, “Raspberry thickets are a favored nesting location for many of our Indigo Buntings. The dense, thorny stems provide the nestlings with protection from many predators, and the berries are a convenient source of food.”

Related Article:

• Gardening for birds http://bit.ly/K5IG0T
• Blue Jays aren't blue http://bit.ly/zlNPHx
• How birds and bees see UV light http://bit.ly/wLilkP 
• Types of Bird feathers http://bit.ly/J8aZMh

Small yellow bird

Arriving in mid-Michigan in the beginning of May from Central and South America, the Yellow Warbler is a common migrant that might mistakenly be called “wild canary.” At about 5 inches long, these bright yellow birds have dark bills, and olive green wing-tips and tails. During breeding season there are also faint red breast streaks on the male.

They are bug eaters and like to glean caterpillars, aphids, beetles and other invertebrates from leaves as they flit from branch to branch on the edges of woodlands.

Unfortunately their nests are among the most parasitized by the Brown-headed cowbird. Cowbirds deposit their eggs in nests of other birds’ species so that their cowbird chicks will be fostered. The cowbird eggs typically hatch earlier than their host’s eggs which gives them a competitive advantage over the other hatchlings.

Some Yellow Warblers will abandon their nest once a cowbird has left an egg. To just kick the out the cowbird egg could result in a cowbird attack on the nest and holes pecked in all the warblers own eggs. So warblers try to avoid the cowbirds all together or another tactic the warblers take is to build a new nest on top of an old nest that has a cowbird egg. Some nests end up looking like a bizarre, multi-layered high-rise nest.

Related Articles:

- Attracting Michigan Songbirds http://goo.gl/Gmn0b

- Cowbirds http://lansingwbu.blogspot.com/2009/05/cowbirds.html  

- What’s the best suet for Michigan wild birds? http://bit.ly/yAR4pm

- Best field guide for Michigan birds http://bit.ly/vPOMx1

- Warblers in Michigan http://goo.gl/WMMGs

Warblers in Michigan

I just wanted to write to thank you for all your help in choosing the best feeders and food for my yard. It’s incredible to live in the city, and see such good birds. I think it’s because we’ve switched to the “good stuff” at Wild Birds Unlimited. We are amazed and also sorry for those people who just don’t notice the beauty that is all around. I have my Michigan field guide and next I’m going to invest in your binoculars to get a closer look at of some of those new birds that keep showing up in town.~ Lansing, MI

Yellow-rumped Warbler AKA Butter-butts

This is a really great time to bird watch. Spring warbler migration begins in early April with the return of the Yellow-rumped and Pine Warblers. During peak migration in mid-May, you may see or hear several species of warblers a day.

The endangered Kirtland's warbler is one of the rarest members of the wood warbler (Parulidae) family. It nests mainly in northern Michigan and just recently in Wisconsin and Ontario, but nowhere else on Earth.

Male Kirtland's warblers arrive back in Michigan from the Bahamas between May 3 and May 20, a few days ahead of the females. The males' song is loud, yet low pitched, ending with an upward inflection.

Some cold days in May, warblers are desperate to find insects to eat. These hungry and exhausted warblers often forage low and in the open. I’ve often seen them stopping by to fuel up on my suet feeder in the spring. Another good reason to always keep that feeder full!

Kirtland's warbler

The Blue-Winged Warbler is a common migrant in May. It prefers shrubby fields and willow swamps. Listen for the male’s buzzy two-parted beeee-bzzz song.

The Golden-winged Warbler is also a common spring migrant during the second and third week of May. Their preferred nesting area is overgrown fields. The male’s song is a high buzzy bee bee bee. From a distance their silhouette may be confused with a chickadee.

For a list of more Michigan warblers come in to check out our Birds of Michigan Field guides or go to: http://www.michiganaudubon.org/education/identification_guide/warblers.html

Related Articles:
- Attracting Michigan Songbirds http://goo.gl/Gmn0b
- Michigan made suet feeders: http://bit.ly/rbKskX 
- What’s the best suet for Michigan wild birds? http://bit.ly/yAR4pm
- Best field guide for Michigan birds http://bit.ly/vPOMx1
- What are the Best Binoculars: How to Choose Optics http://bit.ly/vZW26j

Photo Share: Mother and son watching nature

Happy Mother's Day Weekend! 

"Pretty Silhouette" by Steve Hillebrand at Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge in Missouri

How birds find feeders

Birds are amazing creatures and can find new feeders several different ways just like humans find restaurants.

Everyone has a friend that likes to tell you about the new "hot spot". Some birds fly in flocks and may send out a scout bird to forage for new feeding sites.

Or if you see a line around the block for a restaurant, you may get in line yourself to check out the food. Some solitary birds see a lot of birds at a feeder and go see what all the fuss is about.

What if you see the "Golden Arches" on the way home from work? You know what's inside. Some birds already eat at the neighbor's house and may see your familiar feeders on the way home.

It may be a matter of hours before birds discover new feeders or a matter of weeks. The variation depends on habitat, number of nearby feeders, and the kinds of birds in the area. Chickadees, and House Sparrows are especially quick to locate new feeders. Also if you switch feeders the birds may be cautious to try that feeder. To encourage the birds to use new feeders tempt them with scattered seeds on the ground. 

Related Articles:

• How do hummingbirds find feeders? http://bit.ly/KngA72
• How to Begin Bird Feeding http://bit.ly/JxgF6d
• When should I clean my bird feeders? http://bit.ly/rtg6LR
• Why Wild Birds Unlimited has the best seed. http://bit.ly/uER81k
• The best bird feeders at Wild Birds Unlimited http://bit.ly/rzl7RQ

Photo Share: Great Horned Owl Chicks in Nest

Great horned owls are one of the most widespread and successful bird species in the United States with a geographic range that covers most of North America and extends south into Central and South America. They inhabit nests abandoned by squirrels or other birds, including other great horned owls. And their primary diet is likely to consist of rodents and insects.

It usually takes 6 to 9 weeks for the owls to fledge and then another 5 to 10 weeks before they become independent.

The average life expectancy of great horned owls is 13 years. The record for the longest life in the wild is 28 years old. In captivity, the average lifespan is 20 years and the longest recorded lifespan is 35 years.

If anyone else would like to share a photograph of nature send it to bloubird@gmail.com and I'll put it on the Friday Photo posts.