Archive for the ‘Bird’ Category

Winter Bird Feeding Tips

Sunday, December 15th, 2019

Winter bird feeding is easy with the help of J&N Feed and Seed in Graham, TexasDon’t forget your feathered friends as the weather turns cold. Winter bird feeding is important as food sources for birds slow in the cold, winter months.  At J&N Feed and Seed we have a great selection of bird feeders, suet, treats and of course, Purina Wild Bird Chow to keep your backyard friends coming back year after year.

Feeding wild birds in the winter is important as food sources for birds slow in the winter. Read our proven tips and techniques to help you quickly enjoy beautiful wild birds found around your yard.

Most bird feeders are designed to attract a wide variety of wild bird species but some have features that appeal to certain species such as Goldfinches and woodpeckers. An excellent feeder design to start with is a “hopper” feeder with wide ledges which presents black-oil sunflower seeds for big and small birds already living around your backyard. This approach ensures that you will attract beautiful wild birds quickly by using the seeds they prefer.

Bird-feeding tips:

Place your feeder so you can view it from a favorite room or chair. Think of a picture window, deck railing, patio, comfortable armchair or breakfast table. Some feeders are designed to attach to your windowpane.

Your birds also need to enjoy where your feeder is placed so make sure it’s near plant or tree cover for protection from the weather and safety, yet easily found too.

Take an old, white t-shirt or towel and place it on the ground beneath your feeder (whether mounted on a pole or hanging from a hook or branch). Take a handful of black-oil sunflower seeds and sprinkle them on your “target”. Birds follow other birds’ feeding patterns so when the first bird finds these seeds, you and your feeder are in business!

Re-fill your feeder as often as necessary to encourage your backyard birds to enjoy your feeder every day too.

Get ready for your family to enjoy lots of natural fun!

Stop by your local Farmer’s Coop for Wild Bird Blend seed mix, assorted bird treats and bird feeders.

Source: National Bird-Feeding Society

Great Backyard Bird Count 2019

Friday, January 25th, 2019
Great Backyard Bird Count 2018

Artwork by Jane Beasley, Birds & Beasleys

The Great Backyard Bird Count 2019 kicks off February 15-18, 2019, and is one birding activity that can be done from literally anywhere on the planet. Join hundreds of thousands of people of all ages and walks of life to create a snapshot of birds across the world. All you have to do is spend 15 minutes tallying the numbers and types of birds you see on one or more of the days of the count. You can count birds at your local park, nearby wildlife reserve, or your own backyard. To find out more information on The Great Backyard Bird Count 2019 and sign up, click here.

 

WHY COUNT BIRDS?

Scientists and bird enthusiasts can learn a lot by knowing where the birds are. Bird populations are dynamic; they are constantly in flux. No single scientist or team of scientists could hope to document and understand the complex distribution and movements of so many species in such a short time.

Scientists use the GBBC information, along with observations from other citizen-science projects, such as the Christmas Bird Count, Project FeederWatch, and eBird, to get the “big picture” about what is happening to bird populations. The longer these data are collected, the more meaningful they become in helping scientists investigate far-reaching questions, like these:

  • How will the weather influence bird populations?
  • Where are winter finches and other “irruptive” species that appear in large numbers during some years but not others?
  • How will the timing of birds’ migrations compare with past years?
  • How are bird diseases, such as West Nile virus, affecting birds in different regions?
  • What kinds of differences in bird diversity are apparent in cities versus suburban, rural, and natural areas?

The Great Backyard Bird Count is led by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, with Canadian partner Bird Studies Canada and sponsorship from Wild Birds Unlimited.

 

 

 

How To Start Feeding Wild Birds In Your Yard

Thursday, December 17th, 2015

feeding wild birdsHave you noticed more birds in your yard since the weather has cooled? Feeding wild birds in the winter is important as food sources for birds slow in the winter. Here are proven tips and techniques to help you quickly enjoy beautiful wild birds found around your yard.

Most birdfeeders are designed to attract a wide variety of wild bird species but some have features which appeal to certain species such as Goldfinches and woodpeckers. An excellent feeder design to start with is a “hopper” feeder with wide ledges which presents black-oil sunflower seeds for big and small birds already living around your backyard. This approach ensures that you will attract beautiful wild birds quickly by using the seeds they prefer.

Bird-feeding tips:

Place your feeder so you can view it from a favorite room or chair. Think of a picture window, deck railing, patio, comfortable armchair or breakfast table. Some feeders are designed to attach to your window pane.

Your birds also need to enjoy where your feeder is placed so make sure it’s near plant or tree cover for protection from the weather and safety, yet easily found too.

Take an old, white t-shirt or towel and place it on the ground beneath your feeder (whether mounted on a pole or hanging from a hook or branch). Take a handful of black-oil sunflower seeds and sprinkle them on your “target”. Birds follow other birds’ feeding patterns so when the first bird finds these seeds, you and your feeder are in business!

Re-fill your feeder as often as necessary to encourage your backyard birds to enjoy your feeder every day too.

Get ready for your family to enjoy lots of natural fun!

Pick up your wild bird seed blends, bird feeders and bird houses at J&N Feed and Seed!

Source: National Bird-Feeding Society

Managing Purple Martins

Wednesday, February 12th, 2014

Meet some landlords, looking out for their tenants, at a high-rise condo complex. Those tenants are The Martins, and they aren’t people–they’re purple.

Watch this great video from Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.

For more information about purple martins, visit:
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publicati…
http://www.purplemartin.org

Hummingbird Nectar Recipe

Saturday, March 10th, 2012

Looking to make your own hummingbird nectar?  Here is a easy recipe.  

 

1 Part Sugar
4 Parts Water
Boil 1-2 Minutes
Cool & Store In Refrigerator

 

Never use honey or artificial sweeteners! Honey ferments easily, and can cause sores in a hummers mouth. Artificial sweeteners have no food value.