Blog for the Birds

Have the House and Eat it Too!

Can a bird have a house and eat it too? Yes, with edible birdhouses from Bottomlands Naturals. The houses are made from various edible material on the outside (such as dried fruits, millets, seeds, corn, and grains). But they are constructed with yellow pine and blandex lumber in the interior. When the edible portion is gone, you’re left with a sturdy natural looking birdhouse that will last for years.  It’s a birdfeeder, no it’s a birdhouse, no.. it’s both!

Join the Birds in the Trees

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you could be high the trees to see the birds up close - or at least a horizontal view? If you live in the Pacific Northwest, maybe you can! An amazing tree-top walkway through the lush coastal rainforest canopy of conifers at the University of B.C. Botanical Garden in Vancouver will offer just that. It’s an aluminum walkway that meanders 308 meters (1010 feet) and offer incredible views. It’s even wheelchair accessible so that everyone can see what it’s like high in the forest canopy! It’s a trail like no other.

Bird’s-eye view of coastal rain forest

Photo courtesy of the Vancouver Sun

Birding Trails New Jersey

The Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary used to be a closed area - for birds only! Now that is all changing as the sanctuary will be getting trails. It took a change of ordinance but there will 4 trails completed by end of summer. Do the trails and people walking through bother the birds? As long as the people behave and stay on the trails. According to Pete Dunne, director of natural history information for New Jersey Audubon Society:

Many species are forgiving as long as people adhere to a certain pattern of movement. The birds acclimate themselves.

Bird sanctuary will be human-friendly

Looking for Good Birding Trail in NY?

If you live in the Great Lakes region of upstate New York or southern Ontario, you might enjoy the Seaway Trail along the St. Lawrence Waterway.  The Seaway Trail is an 834 Km (518 mile) trail featuring a wide variety of bird habitats. Educational kiosks are being implemented this summer.  This region is especially good for birding due to its bio-diversity; the forests, grasslands and shrubby habitat provide a stopover for a colorful array of birds including sparrows, cuckoos, warblers, orioles and thrushes.  Free maps are available for download (in PDF format) from their website (below).

Seaway Trail Website

Attack of the Red Winged Blackbird

Or at least a particular one in Chicago. Named ‘Hitchcock’, this bird will attack anyone who comes near its nest.  It’s fond of human hair by the way and is especially not fond of bicyclers.

Jerk Bird Attacking People

Photo By Hart Curt

St. Paul Dealing with Pigeon Problem

With a plan that has the blessing of PETA, the officials in St. Paul are implementing a contraceptive plan to reduce pigeon populations. The contraceptive, OvoControl-P, prevents bird eggs from hatching and will be mixed in with feeder food dispersed throughout the problem areas.

St. Paul Using Contraceptives to Control Pigeon Population

Pet Smart’s Legal Woes Continue

Last September, the De La Garza family bought a cockatiel from Pet Smart.  Unfortunately, the pet was contaminated with the bacterium chlamydophila psittaci. This causes psittacosis, AKA parrot fever.  Joe De La Garza died, and his daughter became very ill but has recovered.  Now the family is after Pet Smart for negligence.

Family Blames Pet Bird for Killing Father, Putting Daughter in Coma

Missouri Rest Stops get Bird Houses

S & K Manufacturing donated purple martin and bluebird houses to 19 rest areas along Missouri interstate highways.  This will ensure people who stop there will have plenty of birdwatching to do.  Especially during Purple Martin season.  You have a few more months to see the Martins by the way - they will head south again toward the end of September. Oh and a side benefit to the travelers: the birds eat insects. The Purple Martin especially loves mosquitoes. No wonder we love those martins!

Missouri rest areas provided with bird houses

Bird Dropping Facials?

We love birds but generally we don’t like it when one of them drops their waste on our heads, much less our faces! Well, now there is a bird dropping facial - oh boy. A certain spa in New York (where else?) called Shizuka calls the treatment the Geisha Facial which of course sounds much better than what it really is: nightingale droppings!

Bird-Poop Facial New Trend In Skin Care

Man Teaches Heron to Fly

Isn’t this backwards? Didn’t humans learn flight principles from birds?  Now Gary Zammit of Cornwall, UK turned that around and taught an orphaned Heron how to fly.  He did this by running alongside it, flapping his arms, and squawking (like a Heron I guess). Eventually, the Heron caught on and now flies on his own.

Man teaches bird to fly