Bill Askenburg

Author's details

Name: Bill Askenburg
Date registered: November 24, 2009
URL: http://www.NewEnglandBirdhouse.com

Latest posts

  1. Birds Receive Endangered Species Protection — September 26, 2011
  2. Nesting Short-Tailed Albatross Mark Milestone — September 23, 2011
  3. Deadly White-Nose Syndrome Spread Slowed by Cave Closures — September 21, 2011
  4. Nationwide Events Planned for National Public Lands Day — September 8, 2011
  5. Eastern Wild Turkeys Flock to Chelmsford Backyard — September 7, 2011

Most commented posts

  1. Tips to attracting Bluebirds to your Backyard — 12 comments
  2. Winter Backyard Birding – Attracting and Assisting Winter Birds — 5 comments
  3. Tips for Squirrel Proofing Bird Feeders – aka How to Frustrate a Squirrel — 5 comments
  4. Certified Wildlife Habitat: Gardening for Wild Birds (1st of 7) — 3 comments
  5. A Family of Northern Flying Squirrels Moves Into Our Backyard — 3 comments

Author's posts listings

Winter Backyard Birding – Attracting and Assisting Winter Birds

After the fall migration, a winter backyard can be a lonely place for the backyard birder. Many of the birds that have visited backyard feeders throughout the spring and summer have disappeared.

However, many backyard birds do not migrate, rather they stay in the area and gather in large flocks for protection and survival.

To attract these remaining winter birds, consider their water, nutritional and nesting needs – and soon the backyard will be filled with birds again.

Heated Bird Bath
Pedestal Heated Bird Bath

Water and Winter Birds

Birds need water every day, especially during the coldest winter months when natural water sources are often frozen solid and snow is limited.

Along with nutrition, birds use water to maintain their feathers for proper insulation from the cold.

With water in short supply, they search it out in the form of snow, ice, food, or heated backyard bird baths.

Deck Mounted Heated Bird Bath
Deck Mounted Heated Bird Bath

Many birds get water from insects and wild fruits that hang on bushes and trees. They also search out unfrozen running streams, or eat snow and ice. For example, the red-bellied woodpecker pecks at snow and ice collected in nooks of trees. However, eating snow is not efficient, as it requires 12x more calories to melt and metabolize the ice inside the bird’s body.

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Permanent link to this article: http://blog.newenglandbirdhouse.com/backyard-birding/feed-and-help-winter-birds/

Green Backyard Birding – Recycle, Repurpose and Reuse

Environmentally friendly backyard birding can be a lot of fun. I like to consider and evaluate green options when choosing a new feature for my backyard birding environment.
Recycle, Repurpose and Reuse

Repurposed Soda Bottle Feeder
Repurposed Soda Bottle Feeder

Bird feeders can be very easily constructed out of repurposed materials. Finding a new use for a discarded soda bottle is a fun and challenging activity for kids as well as adults. Doing this, makes you look at everyday objects in a totally new and creative way.

The easiest reuse of a container for backyard birding is to make a gravity fed sunflower seed or nyjer seed feeder from a soda bottle. An inverted soda bottle with few small holes, wooden dowel or stick and a string or wire for suspension will make a terrific bird feeder. Smaller feeders can be made with water bottles.

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Permanent link to this article: http://blog.newenglandbirdhouse.com/backyard-birding/go-green-recycle-repurpose-and-reuse/

Tips for Squirrel Proofing Bird Feeders – aka How to Frustrate a Squirrel

Truth be told, squirrel proof is a misnomer. When on a mission, there is no stopping a squirrel – only frustrating them. Squirrels are brazen and cunning thieves, singularly focused on gorging their fuzzy bellies with pilfered bird seed.

Squirrels are tenacious, problem-solving acrobats who will jump through hoops, again and again to reach a nut (see squirrel obstacle course video). Squirrels can be a lot of fun to watch, becoming a much anticipated and welcomed backyard visitor. They also can become major nuisances, occupying soffit and attic interiors, chewing through wires, and digging up flower bulbs.

Deterring squirrels from raiding bird feeders requires placing barriers between them and the bird seed. Bird feeder placement is a big determinant of squirrel resistance.
Tip #1: Consider Bird Feeder Location

Place your bird feeder out of the squirrels reach. Squirrels can jump up to 4 feet high, and can launch themselves from a tree or roof to a target as far as six feet away. A bird feeder placed on a five foot or taller pole and at least 7-8 feet from any structure will provide the best chance of deterring squirrels.

Metal poles are difficult to grab onto, and will cause squirrels to slide down when they try to climb it. Wooden 4×4 posts are easy for squirrels to latch onto, and therefore not a good deterrent by themselves.

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Permanent link to this article: http://blog.newenglandbirdhouse.com/backyard-birding/frustrating-squirrels-tips-for-squirrel-proofing-bird-feeders/

Top 5 Unique Birding Gifts For The Backyard Birder Who Has It All

With thousands of bird feeders, bird houses, bird baths and accessories to choose from, finding the perfect gift for someone who likes to attract birds to their backyard garden or patio can be a daunting task. Here is a top 5 list of gift ideas that are sure to be a hit with your backyard birder.

Squirrel proof feeders can be fun to watch
Squirrel proof feeders are fun to watch, and effective.

Unique Gift Idea #5: Squirrel Proof Bird Feeders

Squirrels can be a huge nuisance to a backyard birder. They can quickly destroy an average bird feeder as they gorge themselves on premium bird seed. Luckily, there are bird feeders designed especially to prevent squirrels from feeding from them, and that provide hours of entertainment as the spurned squirrels stubbornly try to get to the seed (see squirrel obstacle course video).

Our best-selling squirrel proof bird feeder is the Yankee Flipper. It has a motor driven, battery powered, weight activated perch ring that allows the birds to eat and twirls squirrels off. It holds 5 lbs of seed, and is durably constructed of stainless steel and non-yellowing polycarbonate. The Yankee Flipper link above includes a video of it in action.

Also, a squirrel proof baffle can be added to a favorite bird feeder. For an automated spin, our Twirl-A-Squirrel baffle sits above an existing feeder and uses a squirrel’s weight on the feeder to activate a motor which gently spins the squirrel to the ground.

Heated Bird Bath
Heated Bird Bath

Unique Gift Idea #4: Heated Bird Baths

If the fall migration has left your backyard birder’s garden devoid of birds, adding a heated bird bath is the perfect solution to draw in an amazing variety of winter birds looking for a source of unfrozen water.

There are a number of heated bird bath options available, including deck mounted bird baths and pedestal style bird baths. Some backyard birders choose to protect the pumps of their favorite fountains by storing the fountains over the winter, and placing a separate heated bird bath or basin close to a window or vantage point.

Also, if your backyard birder already has a fountain in their backyard, heating elements (some thermostatically controlled) can be added to deice the bird bath during the coldest winter months.

Bird-Song-Audio-From-New-England-BirdhouseUnique Gift Idea #3: Bird Song Audio Learning Devices

The enjoyment of watching birds in your backyard is dramatically increased, when you can identify bird songs and bird calls. Being able to identify a bird based on its song is now attainable through technology.

Devices such as the Identiflyer, store and playback a recording of wild birds’ calls and songs, and can even be used sparingly to attract birds to the area. Bird song scanning wands use bar codes that can be placed in bird watching field guides to scan and playback recordings of bird songs in the field. There is even a singing alarm clock that wakes a sleeping birder with the call of their favorite bird. The convenience and simplicity of these devices, make them a terrific resource for kids interested in backyard birding.

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Permanent link to this article: http://blog.newenglandbirdhouse.com/backyard-birding/gifts-for-the-birder-who-has-it-all/

Online Chat – Bird Bits video series #1

Two birds discuss the best places to pick up chicks (chocked full of bird puns). No inapropriate language or themes – clean comedy.

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Permanent link to this article: http://blog.newenglandbirdhouse.com/backyard-birding/bird-bits-online-chat-video-series-1/

Bat Feeding From a Hummingbird Feeder

IMG_3083 Originally uploaded by antilocapridae Great photo of a bat feeding from a southern Arizona hummingbird feeder.

Permanent link to this article: http://blog.newenglandbirdhouse.com/backyard-birding/bat-feeding-from-a-hummingbird-feeder/

Green Birding

Environmentally friendly backyard birding is not only attainable, but can be alot of fun.  I like to consider and evaluate green options when choosing a new feature for my backyard birding environment. Recycle, Repurpose and Reuse Bird feeders can be …

Continue reading »

Permanent link to this article: http://blog.newenglandbirdhouse.com/backyard-birding/green-birding/

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