9610 Village Place Boulevard
Brighton, MI 48116
December 2023
Are you looking for an amazing gift for someone, how about the gift of bird feeding! In the store we have plenty of pre-made bundles, so all you need to do is unwrap and put it out for your feathered friends. We have more varieties in store, but our online store has some available as well, like Buttons the Snowman on a cylinder feeder, Hummingbird Joy Box starter kit, or a Suet feeder pre-filled with a Christmas suet cake. Visit us or shop online at https://order.wbu.com/brighton
During winter many different bird species tend to group up together in flocks. This behavior helps to keep the individuals safer from predators and increases the amount of reliable food sources they can find. Staff member Nicki has seen a flock of turkeys numbering in the dozens roaming around her property! Toms (the males) and hens (the females) will separate into different groups and will not regroup until breeding season begins in late February or early March.
Sunday, December 3rd from 10 am-11:30 am, and 4 pm-5:30 pm; Wreath Workshop.
Create a functional, decorative bird feeder for your feathered friends! The wreath, supplies, and instructions will be provided for you for a cost of $40 per person.
Sunday, December 24th; Special Christmas Eve shopping hours. We are open from 10 am - 3 pm.
We will be closed Monday, December 25th for Christmas - enjoy your birds!
*Check your email for other sales, promotions, or nature happenings in our area.
Look for her on the Wild Birds Unlimited of Brighton Facebook page this month! Every December we do our “12 Days of Shell Games.” Laurel will post 12 separate “enter- to-win” opportunity videos though out the month and draw the winners on Facebook LIVE in a separate video. It’s a great way to get some fun gift ideas for your family and friends, while having a chance for you to WIN some cool stuff! Don’t forget to tune in, all ages are welcome to participate!
Here is a Tufted titmouse debating if a peanut is worth it. Peanuts and other tree nuts are a fantastic source of fat and nutrition for birds anytime of the year, but especially now as it continues to get colder. The cool thing about peanuts is that they mimic acorns from oak trees, so if it is a bad year for oak trees they are a great supplement for your backyard friends! Thank you for the picture D.W.! If you have any fun bird experiences, or pictures you want to share with us, please send them to our email at [email protected].
Have you ever wondered what you can do to keep track of the birds you have been seeing, or how you can share your observations with other people? Project FeederWatch is a great event that runs from November to April, and helps you become a part of citizen science! This a great event that bird lovers can participate in, all you have to do is find your favorite place to sit down and watch. You can sign up anytime and count for as long or as often as you want. The data you collect can be submitted to the website and it will be added to a data base that scientists use regularly to help determine bird distribution, movement, abundance, and migration. There is a participation fee for the event but that covers your recording materials, web design, data analysis, staffing, and the year-end reporting. Check it out at feederwatch.org.
eBird is another great tool for anyone who loves watching the birds, whether they are a beginner or an expert! This is a free app that can be downloaded on your phone or tablet and can help keep a list of all the birds you have seen - you can even add older lists from your field journal to help compile a lifetime list of all the birds you have seen. You can access eBird year-round and bird experts are always verifying and validating rare bird sightings. So, check eBird next time we have a rare visitor because it will help you locate where in the state it can be found. Maybe next time you can join all the other birders trying to find an elusive Flamingo or Roseate Spoonbill! With winter moving in, Snowy owls are another rare bird that might make an appearance in the lower peninsula - so keep an eye out! Download the app or learn more at eBird.org.