Beautiful bird mugs available at the Wild Birds Unlimited

Take a look at these beautiful bird mugs available at the Wild Birds Unlimited - East Lansing, Michigan store.

There are a total of 12 mugs in the collection. Each one features a different Michigan bird: American Goldfinch, Black-capped Chickadee, American Robin, Eastern Bluebird, Blue Jay, Northern Cardinal, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, House Finch, Red-bellied and Downy Woodpeckers, and the Red-breasted and White-breasted Nuthatches.

The illustrations on the mugs are just gorgeous. They feature a bird and items from their habitat. It doesn’t matter if you hold the mug with your right or left hand because there are images all around the mug and inside. Pretty smart!

They are dishwasher and microwave safe and make great gifts. Come to the East Lansing store and while supplies last, you get one free with the purchase of five mugs.

Related Articles:
- Holiday gift ideas for nature lovers: http://bit.ly/v8L2va
- Number one selling pre-wrapped feeder for the holidays: http://bit.ly/uCrvbx
- Lots of Neat New Items Coming into the Store! http://bit.ly/sJIgl6
- Unique gifts for someone that has everything http://goo.gl/ZEHqc
- Top 10 Gifts for Birdwatchers: http://bit.ly/uZojYY
- A window feeder provides great entertainment: http://bit.ly/uT6S3u

Frozen Frogs: How tree frogs survive winter

Gray Tree Frog, Hyla versicolor

Before the first frost, a tree frog’s survival process is set in motion. Special proteins in the blood cause the water in the blood to freeze first. This ice sucks most of the water out of the frog's cells so that the water freezes outside the cells, causing much less damage. (Humans lack these proteins, so when our skin freezes, we get frostbite, which sucks all the water out of our cells and causes them to collapse.)

Essentially, water pulls away from the center of the body so the internal organs are wrapped in a puddle of water that then turns into solid ice. The frog's heart stops beating, its brain shuts down, muscles stop moving, and the frog stops breathing. When frozen, tree frogs turn blue. For several months the frog is in this state of suspended animation.

When temperatures warm and the ice melts, the frogs thaw. Water slowly flows back into the cells, blood starts flowing again, and the frog revives.

Related Article:
- The difference between Frog and Toad http://goo.gl/pMwRKp
- Tree frog in Bird House http://goo.gl/uDwss4
- Why Don't Birds Freeze After They Take a Bath in the Winter? http://goo.gl/5ydpvy
- How can birds survive this cold weather? http://goo.gl/4v2d4

Source: http://http-server.carleton.ca/~kbstorey/ftverts.htm

Why Don't Birds Freeze After They Take a Bath in the Winter?

Birds have many adaptations to stay warm in the winter and not become bird popsicles after a bath. First birds are the only animals with feathers. When fluffed up, feathers act as a buffer from the winds and wet; think downy coat. Then there is a gland at the base of most bird species tails that produces a special oil. When a bird preens they spread this on their feathers with their bill to help them become weather proof and shed water.

 However after awhile, the feathers become dirty, clump and don’t insulate as well. Then birds need to clean their feathers and the quickest way is with water. If the temperature is well below freezing, they may only drink from the bath and clean their feathers in a sandy pit or a snow pile. Birds can drink snow too but it uses more energy.

Also birds’ feet are made up of mainly bone, tendon, and scaly skin. And unlike humans, birds don’t have sweat glands in their skin to produce any moisture to freeze.

But that’s not all. Certain birds also have a heat exchange system in their legs. It is a specialized circulatory pattern to reduce heat lost through the feet when standing in cold water.

Blood is diverted into a heat exchanger in birds’ legs by sphincter muscles to conserve heat. Arterial blood arriving from the heat exchanger in the leg is as warm as the body core temperature and the venous blood from the feet is nearly as cold as the surrounding air. Similar to a radiator, the heat flows from the arteries into the veins along the length of the heat exchange, ensuring that the venous blood will be warmed before returning to the rest of the body.

So it’s good to have a heated birdbath in the winter. As long as birds are able to find food which they turn into "heat" energy, and keep their feathers clean, they can survive in extremely cold conditions.

Related Articles:
- Are there heated birdbaths that are solar? http://bit.ly/tnTrK4
- Last Minute Gifts for Birdwatchers http://bit.ly/tXwHJ8
- How to Prepare Your Yard for Winter Birdwatching http://bit.ly/uduvLm
- Attracting Bluebirds in the Winter http://bit.ly/sw0H6P
- Most common winter birds in Michigan http://bit.ly/vSkLTn

Household scraps for birds in the garden

I live in Thailand, Hua Hin, about 230 km south of Bangkok. We have a number of birds that visit our garden, sparrows, collared and zebra doves, mynahs, hoopoe and many that I have not discovered the names of yet. Bird seed mixes are not readily available here but we put out bananas and fruit also peanuts and pumpkin seeds when available, the sparrows also raid the dogs food bowls. Do you have any suggestions as to what else I might try? Regards, James

Along with this Oriental White-eye, Wikipedia lists 982 wild bird species in Thailand:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_birds_of_Thailand

Water is one of the easiest ways to attract a large variety of birds to your garden. A bowl, no deeper than two inches, with a good perch or a rock in the middle will help a lot of birds. Then look at your landscape. Local birds will come to gardens that provide shelter and natural foods like fruit, nuts, berries, seeds, and bugs.

Zebra Dove

If you are looking to supplement your local birds' diet so you can watch them up close there are a many foods you can try. The better bird food mixes contain plenty of oil sunflower for the majority of seed eating birds. Peanuts pieces are rich in fat and attract a lot of bug eating birds. Nyjer, a small, black seed with a high oil content is a particular favorite with finches.

Millet and Cracked Corn, attracts sparrows, buntings, doves and blackbirds. Oatmeal, Wheat and barley grains are often included in seed mixtures, but they are really only suitable for larger ground feeding birds like pigeons, chickens and pheasants.

Lard and beef suet can help the bug eating birds too. At Wild Birds Unlimited - East Lansing, Michigan we sell high quality suet cakes. Or I have a recipe on how to render your own suet HERE.

Fresh coconut in the shell that has any residues of the sweet coconut water rinsed from the middle of the coconut to prevent the build-up of black mildew can be hung. Dried coconut isn’t good for the birds.

Common Mynah

Apples, pears and other fruit, including bruised and part rotten ones, cut up, are very popular with many birds. 

Some breakfast cereals are acceptable birdfood treats, although you need to be careful only to put out small quantities at a time. Dry cereal is best offered only occasionally.

Bread also has a relatively low nutritional value but isn't harmful to birds if it is offered in small quantities.

If food turns moldy or stale on your birdtable, you are probably placing out too much for the birds to eat in one day. Always remove any stale or moldy food promptly before bacteria can grow and can cause food poisoning.

You can read more at: Share Nature's Bounty http://lansingwbu.blogspot.com/2009/10/share-natures-bounty.html

Related Articles:

- Common winter birds in Michigan and their food preference: http://goo.gl/rmDuFd

- How to choose the best suet cake http://bit.ly/xATYPQ

- How to have more colorful birds at your feeder http://bit.ly/qizlNh

- Why do Birds Scatter Seeds from Feeders? http://bit.ly/vZ6gzM

- Choosing a seed blend to feed wild birds http://goo.gl/Jklg9E

Grey and black bird with a hawk beak

When I heard a few small birds strike the window I went to investigate. I saw a beautiful grey shrike perched on the treetop. ~ Grand Rapid, MI

Northern Shrike (Lanius excubitor)

with Striped Field Mouse (Apodemus agrarius) propped up on thorn.

Northern Shrikes, the world's only true carnivorous songbirds, breed in the boreal forest way north of us but appear in Michigan each winter for sporadic visits. Shrikes are also known as "butcher birds" because of their habit of catching small birds, mammals, and insects and impaling their bodies on thorns or any available sharp point. This helps them to tear the flesh into smaller, more conveniently-sized fragments, or they can also leave the uneaten portions for another time.

North American Honey Bee, impaled on thorn by a Shrike

About the size of a American Robin at 10 inches long, the Northern Shrike has a pearl grey back and a whitish belly. Their wings and tail are black with white edges and a deep black mask extends from the sharp, hooked beak through the eye to the ear coverts.

Outside of breeding season, groups of birds will gather together and interact through flight displays, chattering and calling to one another. Northern shrikes fly in a heavy, undulating pattern, but when attacking, fly in a straight, determined direction.

They search for food by perching and then dropping from their elevated perch and using their hooked beak to grab the head of their prey. Shrikes then store their finds on stakes, and will usually consume them within nine days.

Related Articles:

- Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk comes for a visit http://bit.ly/w1fDRM

- Can You Scare a Hawk Away? http://bit.ly/w3vz5B

- Small birds attack hawk http://bit.ly/sH68yB

- Frozen Woodpecker http://bit.ly/ubSCTR  

- Is it safe to feed the birds out in the open? http://bit.ly/rBErxI

Where are my winter birds?

We live in a wooded area. Usually by this time (late November) we have lots of birds at our seed, thistle, and suet feeders: red-bellied, downy, and hairy woodpeckers, cardinals, bluejays, nuthatches, titmice, slate juncos, chickadees, goldfinches, etc. This fall we have only a few chickadees, titmice, downy woodpeckers, and juncos. We're using the same kind of seed as last year and haven't changed feeders. Do you have any ideas where the rest of our "regular customers" might be, especially the cardinals, bluejays, and red-bellied woodpeckers? ~ Ann Arbor, MI

If you remember, 2012 was a rotten year for fruit and nut trees. Birds were flocking to the feeders to supplement their diet. Canada’s natural seed crops were also horrible that year and a lot of birds that usually like to winter further north ventured south to Michigan to find food.

This year, 2013, will have no major bird irruptions. According to Ontario Field Ornithologist Ron Pittaway, the cone crops are excellent and extensive across much of the boreal forest and northeast Canada this year. That means there will be plenty of food for the winter finches, nuthatches and woodpeckers. So more birds will stay up north this winter.

It's estimated that only about 20% of a backyard bird's daily energy intake comes from feeders and because we haven’t had a lot of snowfall in Michigan, there still might be a lot of natural food sources available.

Other things to check if you don’t have birds at your feeders:

1. Make sure your seed is fresh. One way to do this is to pinch the seed with your fingernails on a piece of white paper and see if any oil comes out. On cold days where every meal counts, if your seed has dried out your feeder will be skipped. (Wild Birds Unlimited receives a fresh load of seed each week).

2. Make sure there is no mold in the bottom of your feeder. This can be dangerous to the birds and they will avoid your feeder again. To prevent mold in bad weather use Feeder Fresh™ (a silica grit that absorbs water and humidity, is safe for birds, and made from non-toxic absorbent sand). You can also shelter your feeder from the elements by using something like WBU Weather Guard.

4. Look for predators. Hawks or cats can deter birds from feeding in your area.

5. Check with local birding groups. Call your local Audubon or go in to a Wild Birds Unlimited to see if you are the only one reporting fewer birds.

You'll probably notice that the bird activity was very high at the feeders before the last storm and I think more birds will visit when the snow begins to fly.

Related articles:

- 2013-2014 Winter Finch Forecast: http://goo.gl/qtIQEc

- Feeder Fresh: Prevent your seed from becoming moldy http://bit.ly/vLY9jU

- Will the hawk eat all my birds? http://bit.ly/v3XkTF

- Millions of Birds Die Each Year at the Hands of Mr. Puddy Tat http://bit.ly/tG9cXO

- Can birds predict the weather? http://bit.ly/txkFqX

Photo Share: Hawk and Blue Jay

Hello Sara, I love reading your blog. It teaches me a lot about Michigan birds. I attached some pictures I made around my house. They're no special birds, but very beautiful none the less. Feel free to use them (or not) as you like :) Kind Regards, Sylvia

"There is no way to happiness; happiness is the way" (Buddha)

I think all birds are special. Thank you for sharing your photos and allowing me to share them on the blog! 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.

White-breasted Nuthatch on classic hopper

Nuthatches are presumably named for their habit of wedging seeds and nuts into crevices and hacking them open with their bills. Although the White-breasted Nuthatch is a regular visitor to most backyard bird feeders like the Wild Birds Unlimited EcoTough™ Classic Hopper feeder, it only sticks around long enough to grab a peanut and then dash off with a laugh.

Related Articles:

• Wild Birds Unlimited Advanced Pole System http://bit.ly/rJulFz
• Wild Birds Unlimited EcoTough® Classic Hopper Feeders http://bit.ly/rpd6Cx
• Wild Birds Unlimited EcoTough® Tail Prop Suet Feeder http://bit.ly/s5cNe7
• Wild Birds Unlimited EcoTough® Upside Down Suet Feeder http://bit.ly/sbYFZn
• Wild Birds Unlimited Best Beginner Recycled Plastic Bird Feeders at  http://bit.ly/rXr0JA
• Wild Birds Unlimited Best New Recycled Plastic Fly-thu Feeder http://bit.ly/rKj4en

Cornucopia: Thanksgiving symbol of abundance

The cornucopia (from Latin cornu copiae) or horn of plenty is a symbol of abundance and nourishment, commonly a large horn-shaped container overflowing with produce, flowers, nuts, other edibles, or wealth in some form.

In North America, the cornucopia is typically a hollow, horn-shaped wicker basket filled with various kinds of fall harvested fruit and vegetables and has come to be associated with Thanksgiving.

Related Articles:
- Let's all share Nature's bounty http://bit.ly/tgPkrv
- Edible ornaments for the birds http://bit.ly/tXDnSB
- Decorate a Tree for Your Birds http://bit.ly/t3QtGV
- Filling Up on Fatty Foods http://bit.ly/tUElnw
- Best way to serve your birds on Thanksgiving http://goo.gl/xyaAi9

Sad Goldfinch

American Goldfinch in the winter plumage

The scientific name for the American Goldfinch, Carduelis tristis, is Latin for "Thistle-finch sad". Supposedly it refers to the goldfinch's song.

I think that is quite funny because even though they lose their bright yellow feathers in the fall, I find their song especially warm and sunny in the winter.

They sing a series of musical warbles and twitters. A tsee-tsi-tsi-tsit call is often given in flight and at the feeders I often hear them end their sentence with a honey-bee? You can listen to a clip HERE. Or go to Cornell's website at: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/american_goldfinch/sounds

Related Articles:

• European Goldfinches http://bit.ly/Q2Cu37
• Goldfinch Migration http://bit.ly/MzGSPD
• Are Goldfinches here in the winter? http://bit.ly/PZu5ML
• Goldfinches: The Last Birds Nesting http://bit.ly/PZuejj
• Bird of the week: American Goldfinch http://bit.ly/PZum2a

Best way to serve your birds on Thanksgiving

Did you read the title and think the best way to serve a bird was with gravy and stuffing? Or were you like a lot of customers last week that wanted their backyard bird table full for the holidays and stocked up on foods for their wild birds!

If you come into the Wild Birds Unlimited - East Lansing, MI store you will see a lot of new items that will decorate your yard and make a great treat to serve your birds.


Fun Holiday Bird Food Treats
Cedar Birdhouse Dipped in Birdseed 
We have functional bird houses that are decorated with a mixture of fresh bird seed and dried flowers. Birds will flock to the sides to eat during the winter and then a bird couple can use the cedar house for nesting in the spring.

Solid Seed and Nut Ornament 

Give your backyard friends a gift they'll really enjoy. Extra-large wild bird seed ornaments are solid, compact balls of mixed birdseed and pecans. They can be hung on outdoor trees, porch hooks, or shrubs as a treat for clinging birds. Features red raffia bow and jute hanging loop. Each ball measures approximately 4" dia. This is a perfect gift to have on hand to pass out to teachers, hostesses, unexpected guests and other friends and family.
 .

Giant Bird Seed Pinecone

Giant Pinecones coated with sunflower seed without the shell and tied with twine so you can hang them over a branch. A fun way to decorate an outdoor tree in your own yard, these pinecones makes charming, nature-inspired gifts for bird lovers. 

Buttons the Snowman Seed Cylinder
Available for a limited time only, our Snowman Seed Cylinder is a seasonal mix of safflower, sunflower chips, peanuts, cherries, blueberries and papaya to attract a variety of birds. Simply slide the Snowman Seed Cylinder onto our WBU Seed Cylinder Feeders or WBU Dinner Bell™ feeder and enjoy the feathered holiday visitors. This is an adorable and unforgettable treat birds really love! 

WBU Supreme Fare Seed Wreath
The WBU Supreme Fare Seed Wreath does double duty during the winter season. Not only is it a dining delight for birds, but it also adds festive cheer to any yard. This wreath is full of seasonally-appropriate ingredients including sunflower seeds, peanuts and pecans.

It makes the perfect gift for friends that love nature but might not need another feeder. The wreath is 100% edible. Birds will eat this treat until it disappears completely.

Each wreath comes in a clear wrapped gift box and includes a red hanging ribbon and seed net. 

Related Articles: 
- Let's all share Nature's bounty http://bit.ly/tgPkrv 

- Edible ornaments for the birds http://bit.ly/tXDnSB
- Decorate a Tree for Your Birds http://bit.ly/t3QtGV
- Filling Up on Fatty Foods http://bit.ly/tUElnw