Winter SuperBlend®:

A High-fat Treat

Many birds change their diets during winter, switching from insects or vegetation to high fat seeds and nuts, so give your birds a little extra help with this seasonal seed blend! Winter SuperBlend® can be used on its own or mixed into your normal seed blend. It works best in a tube, hopper, or tray-style feeder, and will attract a ton of different species. This bag of food is packed with sunflower chips, pecans, peanuts, tree nuts, Bark Butter® Bits and Nutrasaff, which makes this blend a nutritional powerhouse when birds need it most. We have it in a 7 lb. bag of loose seed or tightly packed together in small and large seed cylinders, consider adding one to your feeding station and see what birds refuel in your backyard!

Snow Brings in New Visitors

Our sales associate, Haley, has had a new feathered friend stop by her feeders, a Northern Flicker! During these cold temperatures, birds are looking for a reliable source of food to keep themselves fueled up and warm. Providing food at crucial times during the year increases the health and survival rate of birds in your yard and will only add to the enjoyment of bird feeding. Another great thing to improve your feathered friends’ winter is providing them with a heated bird bath, because clean feathers allow birds to insulate themselves more - just like when we wear big, puffy coats to stay warmer in these cold temperatures. If you’re interested in becoming more seasonally savvy, check out every one of our archived newsletters at https://brighton.wbu.com/

Nature Nerd Corner:

Red-headed Woodpeckers

Our customer S.R. got this stunning picture of two Red-headed Woodpeckers on her Double Tail-prop Suet Feeder. This is a great comparison between a yearling and a full-grown adult. The one on the left is the younger one, and you can tell this by the gray feathers that are still on its face and around its beak. The one on the right is an adult, because the red on its head is solid. Usually, we only get to see these beauties during the summer, since they tend to be more nomadic than the other woodpecker species we have in Michigan. If you want to learn more, check out allaboutbirds.org

Save the Songbirds:

The History of Bird Feeding

People have watched birds for a very long time, and it has played a huge role in American history and our relationship with nature. In the late 1800s, many environmental groups and scientific societies were forming and discovering that bird populations were declining. The most influential groups were also some of the least expected groups to take interest, like sportsmen, hunters, anglers, trappers, and wildlife managers, because they wanted the populations to be sustainable so their activities would not damage healthy ecosystems.

In the 1950s, suburbia introduced a new group of people to the hobby which included families and children, as they began spending more time at home watching their backyards and focusing on wildlife. At this point, colorful songbirds and their beautiful songs became one of the driving forces of conservation because they were contributing to household happiness.

February has been coined National Bird Feeding Month, so it is a great time to begin the hobby. You can start small with a free-hanging Cranberry Seed Bell or go big and commit to a whole bird feeding station that includes multiple feeders. It can take a few days or several weeks for birds to recognize a brand-new feeder, so be patient! Birds find their food by sight and black oil sunflower seed is the most readily recognized food source. So, having a feeder that has clear sides or clear roof will help the birds find it faster, and our EcoClean® Seed Tube Feeder with a dome is such a great starter feeder.

There are so many ways to increase the variety of birds you see in your backyard, and in Michigan we have a different species every season. Next time you visit us, make sure to ask what we have been seeing and how you can get set up for success every season!