Birds and Squirrels

I received this message from “Defenders of Wildlife” and wanted to share it with others out there who also want to help wildlife.

Will Your Representative Help Sea Otters?

Once on the brink of extinction, California’s sea otters have been slowly recovering over the last seventy years. But recently, sea otter populations have stagnated, prompting concern among conservationists and scientists.

Biologists need to be able to study causes of sea otter deaths in order to help save these beloved animals — and the Southern Sea Otter Recovery and Research Act will provide vital funding to do just that.

Please ask your Representative to help sea otter recovery by cosponsoring the Southern Sea Otter Recovery and Research Act (H.R. 556). http://action.defenders.org/seaotterrecovery

Some people who live in particularly cold regions of the world might find that they have a little problem offering the local birds a place to wash and drink all year round. After all, many birdbaths will merely contain frozen water once it hits winter. This doesn’t help anyone involved. After all, the birds can’t get to the water, and you can’t enjoy the colorful and bright birds of your region.

If you want to combat this problem, look into purchasing any number of heated birdbaths. These are absolutely great for winter or cold weather, but you don’t have to stash them in the garage once the weather turns nice. Rather, these are useful year round, because they contain a thermostat that can detect and regulate the water temperature. In this way, the birdbath will only operate when it is cold enough to do so. This is an added benefit for places with unpredictable weather. So even if you unexpectedly go through a cold snap, your birdbath will be ready.

  Many people out there only think of how they can keep the squirrels away from their bird feeders. But I believe that there are just as many people out there who love those bushy tailed gymnasts and would like to see more of them running around their yard. If you could use a good laugh sit in your  backyard and watch their acrobatic skills.

  To attract more squirrels to your backyard try putting up a Squirrel Feeder. Thats right a feeder just for the squirrels not the birds! I mean they have squirrel proof  bird feeders, so why not a squirrel only feeders. You can have the best of both worlds in your own backyard and double the fun.

If you are a bird lover, it’s a great idea to add either bird feeders or bird baths to your backyard. Filled with the right food and cleaned properly, both these devices can drastically increase the amount of birds you’ll see flitting through your property. And remember that birds are savvy about knowing which house offers the best situation, so if you impress them one year, those birds are likely to return the following year.

If you want to keep attracting birds, one of the most important things to remember is that you need to make sure your bird bath offers a safe environment for the birds. Bird baths should always be high enough that cats or other animals can’t easily reach the birds. This will allow them to drink or bathe in peace. It should also be cleaned regularly and replenished with clean water. Stagnant water has a tendency to collect insects and germs, and this can be unsafe for the birds. The subsequent mold that can accumulate on bird baths is also potentially harmful, so make sure you scrub the bath clean when it’s visibly dirty. Provide these few safeguards, and birds are likely to keep flocking to your backyard.