The hummingbird gets its name from the characteristic hum made by their rapid wing beats.The hummingbirds are the second largest family of birds with over 343 species. They originated in South America; and the great majority are still there where colorful flowers bloom all year.  Only 21 species make it to US soil.

Hummingbirds are the smallest of birds and most species measure in the 3–5 in range.   They can hover in mid-air by rapidly beating their wings 12–80 times per second (depending on the species).  They rotate their wings from the shoulder not the wrist like most birds do.  The blur of a hummingbird’s beating wings while hovering is in great contrast to its body which appears to be suspended vertically.  Due to the manner they beat their wings; they can not only hover, but can also fly forwards, backwards, up, down, and sideways.  They can fly at speeds exceeding   34 mi/hr.  No other bird can fly like this. Needless to say, hummingbirds need lots of energy to keep those wings beating so fast.

Hummingbirds have no sense of smell and are attracted to the color red and varying shades of it.  A red hummingbird feeder or at least a hummingbird feeder with red feeding ports should be used to attract hummingbirds. A hummingbird feeder will entice hummingbirds with sweet nectar.  Nectar can be purchased or home made, but purchased is easier and safer to use.

The Ruby Glass Hummingbird Feeder shown on the right is a beautiful feeder that will look elegant in your yard. The deep, ruby color of the   glass reservoir and copper color of the base will make the feeder shine in your yard.   The reservoir holds 22 ounces of nectar and there are three red flowers for feeding ports on the base. Easy to refill with nectar as the column unscrews from the saucer for refilling

Hummingbirds are very territorial, so it is best to have a few hummingbird feeeders in your yard to avoid any conflict between the hummingbirds.

The beautiful colors and speed of the hummingbirds makes them a great addition to your backyard birding.

Feeding Wild Birds in the winter require a different approach than warm weather feeding.   Birds are warm blooded animals, which means they need to  maintain their body temperature within a specific range even when  the temperature around them changes. The maintenance of body temperature is dependent on the amount of heat the bird produces.  Birds require a high metabolic rate is keep themselves warm.

To keep up their high metabolic rate, most backyard birds require  rich energy foods such as seeds and insects. In the winter insects are hard to find and during snowfall both  berries and insects are hard to find.   During winter, it is especially helpful to have feeders full of suet. Suet is a high energy formulation of animal fat and other ingredients to attract insect eating birds. Suet will provide a quick source of heat and energy for birds, who’s metabolisms are high in the winter. 

There are many types of suet available, the most convenient being suet cakes that fit easily into a suet birdfeeder, like the EZ Fill Bottom Suet Bird Feeder shown on the right. This attractive metal feeder  holds up to three standard suet cakes keeping them protected with the solid metal sides. It has a rod indicator on the roof that lets you know the suet level inside the feeder. Each side hasa bird in flight silhouette.  A chain is included for easy hanging. The bottom has a 0.5 inch square mesh where the birds can dine in ease.  Of course, as the name implies the  EZ Fill Bottom Suet Feeder is easy to fill by simply lifting the roof.

Birds that eat suet:
 -chickadees
- nuthatches
- woodpeckers

Can also attract:
-wrens
-blue jays
-thrushes

 A few suet feeders will bring birds to your yard all winter.  Remember to have fresh water available, too.

The Pumpkin Pie Squirrel Treat is for use with squirrels and all Backyard Wildlife.

Make it a yearly tradition to share a little bit of pumpkin pie with your backyard friends!

They are a year-round treat with a super premium blend of Chuckanut Pumpkin seed and year-round Suet.

It fits in the Chuckanut ricochet feeder or any large suet feeder.

Chuckanut Pumpkin seed and year-round Suet contains Rendered Beef Suet, Corn, Wheat Middling, and Pumpkin Seeds.

The BirdCam 2.0 High-Performance Birding Camera allows you to take beautiful digital pictures or videos with sound. No assembly required and has a variety of great features including motion sensitive capabilities, flash and timelapse options. Desinged to be sturdy and weatherproof and has a variety of mounting options.

The highest-resolution BirdCam, the BirdCam 2.0 has a timelapse feature and a flash for nighttime photos. Easy enough for anyone to use, but powerful enough for serious bird watchers to enjoy, the BirdCam 2.0 has the features and flexibility you need for incredible bird photography.

The BirdCam 2.0 takes 8-megapixel, high-resolution photos and videos of your backyard birds. And with a timelapse setting and a flash for nighttime photos, you’ll see more than ever before. Anyone who loves birds is sure to be amazed by this innovative bird watching tool! And thanks to the flash, you can capture photos of nighttime birds such as owls and nighthawks.

Benefits:

• Takes digital photos or videos with sound
• Includes flash and timelapse features for more photography options
• Easy to use right out of the box
• Rugged, weatherproof construction so you can leave unattended
• Smart sensor technology reduces empty frames
• High resolution for beautiful photos and videos
• Versatile mounting options
• Connects easily your computer or television
• Makes it easy to track your birds and share through e-mail, print or post online
• Records data to internal memory (32MB) or a memory card (optional)

The BirdCam 2.0 is weatherproof, motion-activated, and easy to use. And there are no tools, wiring, or software required! It’s out of the box and ready to go in minutes. Point your BirdCam 2.0 at your bird feeder, bird bath or bird house – anywhere birds visit. You can leave it unattended and then marvel at the up-close images of your backyard wildlife.

Advanced BirdCam 2.0 Features

The BirdCam 2.0 is packed with advanced features that expand your bird photography options. In addition to the motion-sensitive mode (referred to as AUTO mode), the BirdCam 2.0 can take digital photos or videos at a specific time interval (TIMELAPSE mode) or be used as a regular digital camera (MANUAL mode).

The Setup menu includes “EASY” photo and video programs which will handle most backyard applications. If you want more control, the Setup menu lets you program Photo or Video, Photo Resolution, Delay, Number of Images per Event, Time/Date/Location imprint, Sensitivity of the infrared sensor, Erase Images and Diagnostic Test. These controls provide flexibility that is helpful when using the BirdCam 2.0 for different types of bird photography.

View and Share Your Bird Photos and Videos

Viewing and sharing your bird photos and videos from the BirdCam 2.0 is simple for anyone who has used a digital camera. Just download your bird photography or bird videos to your computer using the included USB cable or an optional memory card. You can also view your bird photography on a television by using the included TV Out cable. Once on a computer, your bird photos and videos are easy to save and share with others by printing, e-mailing, or posting to the web. The “Smart Sensor” technology ignores feeder movement and minimizes ‘empty’ shots, so you won’t have to sort through blank images.

If your loved one enjoys bird feeding, a heart shaped bird feeder like the Heart HummingBird Feederby Artline is a great way to show your loved one some love, while promoting heart health month.  This charming heart shaped hummingbird feeder is designed to hold 12 oz. of hummingbird feeder and has two feeder ports that allow you to watch more then one hummingbird at a time.  Give this to anyone who heart conscious to remind them of the importance of heart health, while they enjoy watching the hummingbirds feed from the feeder.

Another charming heart item that makes a great reminder for heart health month is the three pack of Ornamental Mini Seed Hearts by Pine Tree Farms.  This pack of heart bird seed contains three ready to hang ornaments for your tree.  These vibrant red hearts stand out nicely in a fir or evergreen tree to remind your loved of National Heart month.

For those who enjoy potted plants, consider giving your loved one a potted plant in the rose Dolce Round Planter.  This beautiful, rose colored planter is perfect for any red flowering plant or fill it will garden tools to help motivate your loved one to enjoy the outdoors by gardening.  Your loved one will enjoy this creative and thoughtful gift and it is a great way to help celebrate National Heart month.

Clinging Birds include those with strong feet (like woodpeckers) that make it easy for them to run up and down a tree trunk, fence or even your backyard shed or birdfeeder pole. Clinger type birds can easily grasp onto a small surface to retrieve an insect or other tiny gnat like prey.

The clinger family includes Woodpeckers, Titmouses, Chickadees, and Nuthatches. Many wild bird hobbyists refer to the woodpeckers and chickadees as “polite” birds, as they will many times take only one seed from your seed tray, fly off and eat or store it. Later, they come back for another seed … repeat.

For this and other reasons, Clingers are sought after by home owners because they can be one of the most entertaining and amusing birds to attract to your yard, patio or deck. Many clingers will even come near your window. As a general bird group, they are naturally curious and will often be the first spring bird visitors at your birdfeeders.

Clingers will respond to bird nest box placement in your yard especially when dead timber is in short supply. Placing next boxes throughout your yard will attract Woodpeckers to provide drumming entertainment, while the rest of the Clingers will entertain you with hilarious antics.

Chickadees are Clinger Birds – so are Titmouses, Woodpeckers and Nuthatches

Across the United States, Chickadees are frequent backyard bird visitors. The most common Chickadees include the Black-Capped and Carolina. Place a nest box near a wooded area and it may become a home to a brood of six chicks.

The youngsters are perfect miniatures of Mom and Dad, complete with caps and bibs. Chickadee nests are easy to identify, since they always use a nest box or natural cavity.

The nest is a cup of woven grass lined with soft green moss. Chickadees are exciting and entertaining to watch and are well worth the effort to attract into your backyard.

Remember .. start with a nest box near a wooden area and slowly start placing them closer to your window.
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Dog or cat fur (pull clumps off the brush after brushing your pet!)

You can set an assortment of nesting materials in a cage-type suet feeder, or hang it from tree-bark in a place where you can watch birds investigate! Make sure you don’t set out ANY strings or yarns longer than 6 inches–parents or babies can get tangled or even strangled. Never set out dryer lint for birds! It feels soft and wonderful to us and to birds, but doesn’t hold up after a rain.

Orioles love Popcorn…. yes, we said popcorn. Try setting out a tub of popcorn as soon as the orioles arrive. They seem so starved when the arrive. Many orioles fill up with popcorn for a couple weeks before they start building their homes.