THE FLOCK NEWSLETTER

The Necessities for Hummingbird Nectar

Hummingbirds and Orioles are notorious for craving sweet treats, and nectar is a favorite. The best mixture you can make is at home with 1 cup of granulated white sugar and 4 cups of water, because it is the simplest and the closest to natural nectar. Make sure to clean and refill your feeders every few days if temperatures are very hot. We have an additive that contains copper sulfate and can extend the life of nectar up to week in the feeder! Hummingbirds and Orioles already eat bugs that have copper sulfate in them, so it will not harm them - only make your nectar last longer! If you are trying to feed this beautiful summer visitors stop by the store or shop online with us at https://order.wbu.com/brighton.

What have we been seeing?

Fledgling Bluebirds!

It is baby season for our favorite Eastern Bluebirds! They can have up to 3 broods a year, so typically once one batch has fledged another nest is getting prepared for the next round. Sometimes the fledglings will even help their parents raise their siblings! Our sales associate Haley got to experience a group of 3 fledglings being fed by mom. The fledgling is on the right in this photo, and normally you can tell the difference because they are very speckly and always chasing around the parents for food. Haley was serving dried mealworms in our Good Morning Bluebird feeder to attract the Bluebirds to her yard.

Bird Nerd Corner:

A House Finch Nest

House Finches are known for making nests in hanging plants, wreathes, or short shrubs. Our customer J.H. found this nest in her hanging fern and asked us to identify them. One of the key characteristics for House Finches is two rows of down growing along the top of their heads. Depending on resources, they might have up to six broods during a nesting season! To keep them around make sure your feeders have sunflower seed, safflower seed, or jelly, and they will show their babies the best spot for take-out! If you are interested in sharing a story or picture with us, send an email to [email protected].

Save the Songbirds:

What do you do when you find a bird?

First, you must identify if it is a hatchling, nestling, fledgling, or an adult bird. Hatchlings and nestlings are identified by the lack of feathers, usually they will be pink and have only downy feathers growing on their bodies. These babies are too young to fly, feed, or defend themselves and the best course of action is to locate their nest nearby and place them back in it. A common myth is that they will be rejected by the parents if they are returned, birds cannot smell if it has been touched by a human, so it will not bother them.

The next phase of bird growing up is the fledgling stage, at this point they are fully feathered, but they do not always have adult coloring. During this time, they no longer stay in the nest, instead they are learning how to fly and feed themselves. Typically, the parents are nearby keeping a close eye on their babies and will feed them occasionally. Do not do anything with these babies, unless they are in immediate danger or there are visible injuries.

If you find a full-grown, mature bird that is in distress, injured, or lethargic it is likely that human intervention is the only thing that can save it. In this case, the most effective way to help is contacting licensed rehabbers. There are so many different bird species and all of them have different nutritional needs and rehabilitating a wild animal or bird requires special training. In Michigan, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has compiled a list of licensed rehabbers and what types of birds or animals they can take care of. The list is organized by county, so you can find the person closest to you. Check it out here: https://www2.dnr.state.mi.us/dlr/