Do Bird Bath Water Wigglers Really Work?

I’ve seen the Water Wiggler advertised in my birding magazines. Do they really work?
It depends on what you mean by “work.” The Water Wiggler’s unique agitator action creates continuous ripples in the bath water, preventing mosquitoes from laying eggs. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in stagnant water, and the larvae hatch in 2 to 3 days. The Water Wiggler effectively creates surface water movement so mosquitoes can’t lay their eggs, braking the breeding cycle.

Moving water also attracts more birds because the rippling motion catches their eye and they can hear the tiny splashes.

It operates silently on two D-cell batteries for up to two months of continual use. We recommend Lithium batteries for up to six months of continual use. Just place in bird bath and go; no wiring and no plumbing.

Wild Birds Unlimited in Rib Mountain sells the Aurora Water Wiggler which will light up at dusk and slowly shift through the color spectrum. A sensor on the underside turns the unit on at dusk. The lights will shut off after three hours and come back on the following evening. Stop in for a demonstration!

Where Did All of My Tree Swallows Go?

Where did my Tree Swallows go?

I liked watching the swallows’ acrobatics in the sky as they’d dart, swoop and snatch bugs in mid air. I put up two of your Wild Birds Unlimited birdhouses 30 feet apart because you said that way I might get both a bluebird and a swallow. I did! The bluebirds are almost done with their second nesting. The swallows only nested once and then a chickadee moved in. I haven’t seen the swallows since. Did I do something wrong?

Not at all, it sounds like you had a very successful nesting season. Tree Swallows are typically single-brooded, although they may attempt a second nest if the first fails. After nesting they gather in wetlands where they build their reserves by feeding on insects to prepare for their journey south. Most leave Wisconsin by mid-August. They migrate in loose flocks by day and gather in large groups to roost at night. With the first signs of autumn, they migrate until they reach their wintering grounds which stretch from North Carolina, the Gulf Coast, and Southern California to Cuba and Guatemala.

Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor

Order: PASSERIFORMES Family: Swallows (Hirundinidae)

Description: Tree swallows have iridescent greenish-blue on their head, shoulders and back, and a white underside. They have a short black beak and dark brown feet. Young tree swallows look similar to adults, but they are brownish above instead of greenish blue.

General: Tree Swallows arrive in mid-Michigan in March. They prefer open areas in the sun, pastures, fields and golf courses and nest in natural tree cavities, or man-made nest boxes, including those built for bluebirds. The bluebird and swallow are both native species and both desirable birds to have in your yard. One proven technique that allows both songbirds to nest together successfully is to set up pairs of boxes, no more than 10-20 feet apart. Since Tree Swallows will not allow another pair of swallows to nest within 20', the second box is free for bluebird use and the two species can co-exist, after some initial squabbling to sort out who gets which box.

Behavior: Tree swallows do not spend much time on the ground. They can often be seen perching in long rows on wires. They also spend much of their time in flight.To bathe, swallows swoop down over a body of water and lightly brush the water. To eat swallows catch mostly winged insects while in flight, but can forage on the ground for insects, spiders, seeds, and berries. A group of tree swallows are known collectively as a "stand" of swallows.

How Do Squirrel Proof Feeders Work?

Most birds have hollow bones with internal struts that make them very strong. (Exceptions include swimming birds, like loons, which have solid bones to help them dive up to 150’ for food.)

Birds also have a smaller total number of bones than mammals. This is because many of their bones have fused together, making the skeleton more rigid. Birds do have more neck vertebrae than many other animals to help them groom their feathers. But overall it takes over 65 chubby chickadees to equal the weight of one medium squirrel.

Weight activated squirrel proof feeders close off the feeding ports when a squirrel tries to get at the food.

To see a video of our most popular model - click here

This particular feeder is factory set to close at 4 oz but it is fully adjustable. Here are the weights of some of our feathered friends.

Suet In July and Hummingbirds

I've been hearing from many customers that say that they only feed suet in the winter. These folks are missing out on quite a show! Many adult birds bring in the babies to eat suet. You won't want to miss out on the woodpeckers, nuthatches etc. loudly calling their young to the suet feeder.

Use no-melt doughs in warm weather as our doughs maintain their integrity to 135 degrees!

Offer a variety of suet flavors. Robins and mockingbirds love the berry suets. Make sure the ingredients in your suet or suet dough are all natural with no dyes or preservatives.

July is the time to add more hummingbird feeders to keep up with the increased activity. The fledglings will be visiting as well as adults!

Display your hummingbird feeders near a window or patio so you can easily view these little birds. Birds and Blooms is one of my favorite magazines and the recent issue provides a tip - hang a banana peel near your hummingbird feeder and the hummingbirds will eat the fruit flies!!

Stellers In Washington State

Well, our annual franchise meeting in Washington was great. We got to bird, see Mt. Rainier and network with a lot of other store owners and order some great new product which we'll be bringing in over the next few months.

We already have the new EZ Vanes weather vane that is made in the USA. You can mount these in your garden, on your roof or even on your deck! Same price no matter which mounting variation you choose.

Rocky and I got to see our first Stellers Jay and one of our pictures was a big surprise. The jay appears to be levitating! It's all about when you press the button!

Our first anniversary celebration is coming up quickly. REGI will be here with some special feathered guests and we'll have lots of giveaways, cake and sale specials. Stay tuned!

Where are the Hummingbirds?

The female hummingbird is responsible for nest building, egg laying and raising the youngsters while dad busily defends his territory. The activity at the feeders will pick up soon as the babies will be fledging. Be sure to keep the nectar fresh. During hot weather, clean the feeder and change the nectar every couple of days. In cooler weather, 4-5 days between cleanings.

Here are some fun facts about the Ruby-throated Hummingbird:
Cool Facts
•The Ruby-throated Hummingbird beats its wings about 53 times a second.
•The extremely short legs of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird prevent it from walking or hopping. The best it can do is shuffle along a perch. Nevertheless, it scratches its head and neck by raising its foot up and over its wing.
•Scientists place hummingbirds and swifts in the same taxonomic order, the Apodiformes. The name means “without feet,” which is certainly how these birds look most of the time.
•The Ruby-throated Hummingbird does not show a strong preference for any particular color of feeder. Instead, it prefers specific feeder locations.
•Ruby-throated Hummingbirds prefer to feed on red or orange flowers. Like many birds, they have good color vision and can see into the ultraviolet spectrum, which humans can’t see.
•Ruby-throated Hummingbirds normally place their nest on a branch of a deciduous or coniferous tree; however, these birds are accustomed to human habitation and have been known to nest on loops of chain, wire, and extension cords.
•Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are eastern North America’s only breeding hummingbird. But in terms of area, this species occupies the largest breeding range of any North American hummingbird.
•Male Ruby-throated Hummingbirds don’t stick around long. Pairs are together long enough for courtship and mating – just a matter of days to weeks. Then he’s off on his own, and may begin migration by early August.
•The oldest known Ruby-throated Hummingbird was 9 years 1 month old.

Lost Your Goldfinches??

It's not uncommon to hear customers state that they've "lost their goldfinches". Upon inquiry, we usually find that their seed is old. Hot weather spoils seed faster and the seed in the feeder may have been out for more than a few weeks or the main stash of seed may have been sitting in a storage bin in the heat or simply gotten old and stale. Once customers toss out the old seed and fill the feeder with fresh, the finches usually return.

The hot weather is coming, even though it doesn't seem like it. It's a great time to get a birdbath in place. Lots of babies coming in and you can attract birds that may not visit your feeders such as tanagers - they love to bathe and drink fresh water!