New Feeder Alert:

Retro Vintage Cylinder Feeder

A new look to a great foundational feeder! This seed cylinder feeder is from our “Retro Vintage” line and is made from recycled poly- lumber that is environmentally friendly, easy to clean, and very durable. This feeder can hold small seed cylinders, seed stackables, suet cylinders, or seed characters, so you have plenty of different options to feed your feathered friends. The style and color of this feeder is meant to pay homage to the 1920s, when birds became an important focus of urban and suburban environments. Stop by the store or order online at https://order.wbu.com/brighton to get stocked up on all your bird necessities.

What have we been seeing?

Dark-eyed Juncos!

We are starting to see our winter migrants showing up in our backyards! Our manager Summer had a Dark-eyed Junco stop by for a bite to eat a few weeks ago. They love black oil sunflower seed, sunflower chips, white millet, and cracked corn. Typically, these gray beauties will hang out under shrubs or underneath feeders and play clean-up crew for the season. Sometimes they can be enticed to a platform or hopper feeder, but they prefer foraging on the ground. Males have the dark slate back, while females are duller and more tan- colored.

Save the Songbirds:

Winter Sparrow Arrivals

With falling temperatures comes a season full of winter migrants for Michigan. This is a great time to see several different native Sparrow species that are only here from October until March at bird feeders, or can be seen foraging around low, dense shrubbery. Most of these species form small flocks, so there are usually several around even if only one is visible.

The White-crowned Sparrow will either pass through for migration or stay through the season if they have enough resources. Their most distinct feature is their black and white striped crown and orange to pink beak.

The White-throated Sparrow is another species that can be either migratory or a winter regular. They look similar to the White-crowned, but they have a solid white throat and yellow feathers around their beaks. In addition, their crown might be tan-striped or black-and-white-striped.

American Tree Sparrows are only here during the winter and love weedy seeds, so they prefer more open areas when settling in. Sometimes, this species might be harder to identify, but they are best recognized by their rusty caps, bicolored beak, and a dark spot on their breast.

Song Sparrows are here year-round but are more likely to visit bird feeders in the winter months as natural forage dwindles. Typically, they do not forage in small flocks and remain solo for the season. This species stands out a little more, because they have heavily streaked heads, chests, and flanks.

If you want to attract these winter visitors to your yard, a tray feeder or a hopper feeder will be the best option. All of these sparrow species feed on the ground, so offering them a wide-open feeder suits their foraging style. However, if you do not have room for an extra feeder, you can just spread some bird seed underneath your feeders, and they will enjoy that just as much! The best food option is going to be a blend that has sunflower chips, white millet, or cracked corn. Our Deluxe or No-Mess LM seed blends are going to be the best options we have to offer for our favorite native Sparrows.

Source: The Joy of Bird Feeding by Jim Carpenter (you can pick up a copy at our store or order it on-line!)