45- A partridge in a pear tree is a key component of the popular Christmas carol, “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” but did you know there are 45 formally recognized species of partridges in the world. Don’t forget all the great glass Christmas trees Songbird Station offers with some featuring great backyard birds and songbirds found right here in Missouri.
Quick Release Seed Scoop
The Julenek- The Scandinavian countries have a beautiful tradition of encouraging the kind treatment of birds at Christmas time. Norwegians call the traditional food offering a Julenek and they believe that if you spread birdseed outside your doorstep on Christmas morning, thus including the birds in the feasting that takes place inside your home, you will have good luck in the coming year. Songbird Station offers small seed bag holders from Alice’s Cottage that allow you to share this tradition with friends and family.
Platform Feeder
College, Conclave, Deck, Radiance- In the winter months, Northern Cardinals forego their territorial ways and congregate together to form flocks also known as one of the terms above. A group looking for food collectively is more successful than a single cardinal or pair. Platform and ground feeders are a great option for feeding Northern Cardinals and allow multiple birds to eat at one time.
Snowy Owl Ornament
270 Degrees- Unlike other species of owls, snowy owls have flexible neck that can rotate up to 270 degrees. This is their adaptation for having smaller eyes than common owls. They are diurnal, meaning active during both the day and night especially at dusk and dawn. Songbird Station has great gift items for owl lovers including snowy owls that make great Christmas presents.
Attracting Birds, Bird Baths, Bird Watching | October 22, 2019
Nature’s Bounty
By: Mary Douglas
Rock Bridge Memorial State Park
Fall is upon us with winter close behind. A stroll through local parks amid our autumn colors is always a delight this time of year. Take note of the abundant natural foods available for wildlife as you go.
Seed heads heavy with seed will be bent over, acorns will be scattered about the undergrowth, and berries will be heavy on the stems. Native plants and trees you may find include Sunflowers, Serviceberry, Red Cedar, Wild Plum, Black Cherry, Oaks, Basswood, Beautyberry, Dogwood, Hawthorn, Sumac, Virginia Creeper, Coneflower, Liatris, Asters, Black-Eyed Susan, Native Grasses, Winterberry, and others. Many of our native plants look like a weed, yet they are nature’s grocery store for our wildlife. You will likely find some of these natural foods in your yard. Along with the wild food, fall provides leaf litter on the ground that is winter nesting material for birds, squirrels, and bugs.
Songbird Essentials Heated Bird Bath
The Missouri Department of Conservation recommends leaving the native foods and litter where they are for the birds and critters. We can help our local wildlife by leaving and encouraging such native resources in our yards. Fall is the prime time to expand your native perennial plants either by division and replanting or by purchasing starts from local growers. Adding a reliable source of fresh water, such as a heated birdbath, and seed and suet feeders to supplement the wild harvest will attract and help support your local wild residents through fall and winter. Future benefits will show themselves in years to come.
Crossfire 8×42
Fall also brings the shortened daylight hours that triggers the migration of birds. September is often the month we see the most activity at feeders from migratory birds. Birders have a great opportunity to take pictures in the fall as the birds offer unusual opportunities to see them as they move through on their way south. Cameras and binoculars are often in our pockets as we stroll about our parks. Songbird Station offers a wide variety of feeders, baths, and optics to meet your needs and budget. Utilitarian or decorative there is something for every bird lover and a variety of seeds and seed blends for every bird species. Take advantage of Nature’s bounty in the native plants, add a few strategically placed feeders, and use your binoculars to watch the show!
Q & A | October 14, 2019
Q & A With Kevin
Kevin Alferman – General Store ManagerHanging Platform Feeder
Q. Should I feed the Wild Birds in the fall?
A. After feeding the birds throughout the winter, many people take down their feeders in the spring. Some people take them down in the early summer. Others don’t take them down at all and continue to feed year-round. I am one of those who choose to feed year-round, especially as we start moving in to fall. By feeding in fall we are helping resident birds build fat reserves for energy once they begin their migration. Did you know that by feeding a reliable food source that birds are likely to return to the same place in the spring? Another reason why I enjoy feeding this time of year is that I have the chance to attract the first winter bird species to my yard and encourage them to remain nearly all season.
Hearty Hearts Premium Bird Seed
Q. I enjoy watching the bird’s close-up out my window in the morning, but the mess that’s left behind from the seed is so unsightly. What can I do?
A. The answer to this is found in the type of seed you feed. Our #1 selling seed at Songbird Station is Hearty Hearts, which is basically just the nut meat of the Black Oil Sunflower without the shell. We like to refer to this as a “NO WASTE” formula. We also offer a Shell-Free Deluxe mix which consists of Hulled Sunflower Meats and Chopped Nuts. Both of these will draw many birds to your feeder and provide hours of enjoyment.
Q. Are the Goldfinches still here? I don’t see their bright yellow flashes at my feeders any longer?
A. The goldfinches are still here – the American Goldfinch follows this pattern. Beginning in September, and continuing for six to eight weeks, they molt all of their feathers, ending up with a completely new and pristine set of feathers (and drab colors) as they head into winter. While on the subject of goldfinches…… Have you tried the Yellow Spiral Finch Feeder from Songbird Essentials? This feeder is by far my favorite as it has 18 feeding ports to attract many more birds than the traditional tube feeder, birds love to run the spiral! This feeder is also very easy to clean and can be filled from either end. Pick one up today from Songbird Station and let me know what you think.
Cole’s 8 oz. Flaming Squirrel
Q. I enjoy watching the antics of the squirrels in my yard, but they sure know how to empty a feeder! What can I do to keep them away from my bird feeders?
A. There are several things that you can do to help curb this problem. The first thing you can do is add Flaming Squirrel Seed Sauce to your seed mix. This product is intended to make the seed not so tasty to the squirrels due to the hot and spicy flavor, but don’t worry ….. Birds do not have saliva glands and therefore can’t taste the heat. You can also set them up their own feeding area away from your bird feeders and treat them to Squirrel’s Referral which consists of Corn, Black Oil Sunflower, Peanut Pieces, Whole Peanuts, Grey Striped Sunflower and Pumpkin Seeds. One more suggestion is purchasing a squirrel resistant feeder such as Squirrel Buster by Brome Bird Care, they guarantee it to be squirrel resistant!
Attracting Birds, Bird Baths, Bird Food and Feeders, Bird Houses and Nesting | October 13, 2019
Clean Up Your Act
By: Kevin Alferman
Keeping feeders clean is an ongoing part of feeding the birds and will keep the feeders looking good and minimize the spread of disease. They should be cleaned as needed, but you should plan to clean them at least every two to three months. If you notice sick or diseased birds visiting the feeders, it’s time for a cleaning to stop it from spreading. If the seed gets wet and moldy in your feeder, be sure to disinfect the feeders as the mold can be harmful to birds. The cleaning task is typically an outdoor activity, so your schedule should include cleaning in November before it gets too cold, then again in February when it starts to warm up. A 10% bleach or vinegar solution is best for cleaning because it effectively disinfects the feeders. Be sure the feeders are thoroughly dry before refilling as these solutions are non-toxic once they dry out. Fill up a large container like a trash can, with the solution and submerge your feeders. If you have the time this is a good method to clean all of your feeders at once. Let each feeder soak for a few minutes as the scrubbing will be easier. The Songbird Essentials birdbath and feeder cleaning brushes are specifically designed with long sturdy bristles to clean all of the nooks and crannies. Use one of our many shapes and sizes of bristled bottle brushes to clean tube feeders. While you’re at it, dump out the birdbath and disinfect it too. Be sure and dump as much water out of the feeders and baths as you can and place them in the sun to dry. For stubborn cleaning jobs use a product like Poop-Off that is specially designed to remove bird droppings. Remember to pick up a bottle of Birdbath Protector that helps minimize algae growth and mineral and sludge deposits.
Bird Bath BrushPoop-Off Bird 32 oz.
4 oz Birdbath ProtectorBest Long Brush
Migration | October 11, 2019
Flight of the Hummingbirds
By: Tristan Palmgren
Though it seems to us like the weather has only gotten a little cooler, our hummingbirds sense a big change coming. They know that migration season is on us, and they’ve started to prepare. Some of them are already on the move. You may have already noticed changes in your yards as some of the hummers you’ve been feeding all summer have left, and that you have some new arrivals that have migrated from farther north.
Hummingbird migration is one of nature’s most fascinating phenomena. When hummingbirds realize they’ll need to migrate soon, they start bulking up for the trip. They know instinctively that they’ll be expending a large number of calories soon, and they increase their energy consumption to compensate. Hummingbird nectar is typically made at a concentration of four parts water to one part sugar (and this is as true for Songbird Essentials nectar mixes as homemade nectar). During the migration season, we recommend increasing that concentration to three parts water to one part sugar.
They need all that energy for a reason. Though some ruby-throated hummingbirds spend their winters in the very southern tip of Florida, the majority of those we see here in Missouri will cross the Gulf of Mexico to winter in Central and Southern America. Their journey will take them hundreds and hundreds of miles over the ocean in just twenty hours. And they’ll do it all in one trip, as there are few to no islands for them to stop on. They’ll traverse all this distance on wings that are just about an inch and half long, and that they need to beat forty to eighty times per second to stay aloft. It’s no wonder they eat more before they go.
Hummingbirds increase their body weight enormously before migrating, nearly doubling their pre-migration weight. They then expend nearly all of that crossing the ocean. It’s one of the most arduous journeys any migratory species undertakes, let alone a species as small and vulnerable as the hummingbird. Imagine the toll on your body if, every year, you were to drastically increase your body weight and then expended of it in one concentrated burst of exercise. Hummingbirds are more adapted to these sudden gains and losses than our bodies would be, but it is still quite taxing on them.
Hummingbirds have been migrating in this style for millions of years. Their lifestyle well predates human civilization. If only for our mental well-being, it’s important to remember that hummingbirds are not dependent on humans to survive. Our goal in feeding these birds is not to replace or micromanage an ecosystem, but to supplement it, and to encourage desirable and colorful visitors to come to our backyards. However, their migration does mean that the hummingbird’s dietary needs change, and those of us who provide food for them need to be aware of that fact. The same hummingbirds that frequented your feeders in spring will be looking for something different, and stronger, at the end of the season.
Dr. JB’s Complete Switchables Available in 16 oz., 32 oz., 48 oz., & 80 oz. capacities
The fact that hummingbirds not only survive this trip but have thrived as a species is one of the many traits that make them wonders of nature. Another trait is their fantastic memory and sense of geolocation. Not only do they migrate incredible distances, they can pinpoint specific locations, and return to the same backyards that they left months and months—and thousands of miles—ago. If you’ve been feeding hummingbirds regularly throughout this season, you can place a good bet that you’ll see those same birds next spring.
Attracting Birds | October 02, 2019
Going Batty? It’s October!
October is “Bat Appreciation Month” and we sure appreciate our flying mammal friends. Attracting bats to your backyard can be simple with proper bat house placement.
FUN FACTS ABOUT BATS
Did You Know?
Songbird Essentials 5 Chamber OBC Bat House
Bat houses should be placed on a pole, house, barn, garage, or any other structure that is at least 15’ tall.
The higher the bat house is placed, the better your chances of attracting bats.
Two bat houses placed back to back on a pole offer the greatest chance of attracting bats.
Houses should be positioned so that they face south or southeast, preferably so that they get morning sunlight.
Bats eat almost their full body weight nightly, they are the major predators of night-flying insects.
The United States has nearly 50 species of bats, most of which consume insects. The bats most commonly found in the Midwest consist of Big Brown Bats, Little Brown Bats, Red Bats, Hoary Bats, and Silver-Haired Bats.
Of all the bat species in the United States, only the colony-roosting bats will use bat houses, such as the Big Brown Bats and the Little Brown Bats.
If a bat gets caught in your house, open the doors and windows and calmly sit down. The bat will use echolocation to find its way out.
Once a colony of bats has found your bat house, they will use that same house every year.
Untreated cedar or exterior plywood increases durability and attracts bats.
Interior walls are grooved or covered with mesh to help adults and pups cling.
Songbird Essentials Bat Bungalow
Dr. JB’s Complete Switchables Available in 
