Archive for August, 2009
Last weekend I had the privilege of watching three swallow-tailed kites flying right over my house. If you’ve been lucky enough to see these raptors in flight you already know how elegant and graceful they are. They seldom flap their 48″ to 50″ wings while flying, but will almost continuously rotate their tails to make sharp turns, keep their heading or just make large easy circles high above, as if out for a afternoon stroll. If you don’t happen to already have them in hand, these birds will usually stick around long enough for you go grab your binoculars for a closer look. Which is always well worth it!
Kites are unlike most other raptors in that their talons and bills are not as large or strong. For this reason their diet is made up of mostly smaller weaker prey such as insects, frogs, lizards, snakes and small birds. They circle the tree tops in search of prey and will swoop down take and it on the wing. These beautiful raptors are unlike any other species and to see them in flight with their forked tails soaring high above is shear pleasure and a bird watchers treat!
When attempting to attract Goldfinches to your yard sometimes less is more. Just plant some of their favorites like Marigolds, Zinnias, Cosmos, or Cornflowers and don’t bother to cut off the tops, Goldfinches love them. You don’t even have to weed out the dandelions these also are favorites. What a great excuse to get out of weeding!
Of course you’re also going to want to put up some thistle tube feeders, since other than the plants you’ve planted for them they eat seed almost exclusively. Even to the point of bringing partially digested seed to feed their brood. And if you want to keep them around all year you’ll want to keep those feeders full. To keep them from competing too much over the feeder you can always put up some extra inexpensive thistle sacks. That way you’re sure to keep these golden beauties close to you with their delightful songs and charming flights.
Lots of owners can have trouble attracting birds to their yard, and most often the reason is the birds feel threatened in the space. While it’s important to have all the amenities a bird could want like birdhouses, bird feeders, and bird fountains or baths, it’s even more important that the area feels safe. This means that owners who want birds in their yard should avoid placing their birdfeeders and birdbaths in an open area with a view of the sky. Predator birds spot smaller birds while soaring higher up, so it’s a good idea to provide the smaller birds some cover. It’s best to have a birdfeeder or birdbath next to a tree, or small shrub where the birds could retreat if needed. With birdbaths, it’s also important that the water is moving, as birds are attracted to moving water. This makes bird fountains a great option.
When placing birdhouses, try to nestle them underneath the boughs of trees and also in high places where animals like cats and dogs can’t reach. Take these steps, and in no time at all the yard will be bustling with chirps and cheeps!
A Hummingbird’s nest is made out of soft material such as moss and lichen. She also uses bits of willow, animal and plant down. Then she will hold it all together with spider webs (which happens to make a great glue ). With some materials becoming harder for her to find, and having to settle for items such as dryer lint. We can help her out with the perfect Nesting Material that we provide ourselves!
Hummingbirds build their nests on a “Y” of a tree branch, they are cup shaped like half of a walnut shell, and are about the size of a ping pong ball. They are camouflaged so well with their surroundings, it is often difficult to find them. One of the easiest ways to find a nest is to watch the hummer as she collects the nesting material and follow her back to the nest site. She brings a little at a time, so don’t get upset if you don’t see where she goes at first. You’ll have many more chances to find her nest!