New Product: Squirrel-proof suet cage feeder

A new model of squirrel-proof suet feeders has just come on the market but this one has a twist. Instead of filling the feeder with suet from the top, this one allows you to fill from the bottom.

The feeder has a pop-out metal suet basket that enables you to place two cakes of suet inside cage. The insert at the upper right shows you how the refilling process works. The product, made by Woodlink, is patent pending.

The product is made of durable, rust-resistant, powder-coated steel construction. The 1-inch metal grid allows smaller birds such as chickadees, nuthatches and House Finches but keeps out larger suet-devouring birds such as starlings and grackles. The cage seems tough enough to keep any squirrel from chewing his way in.

Having a cage with two suet cakes is a definite benefit. You can use two different kinds of cakes for attracting a wider variety of songbirds.

Enormous flock of Snow Geese reported in Nazareth

Adult Snow Goose

It's not uncommon to see flocks of Snow Geese at this time of year. But last Sunday's sighting of an estimated 100,000 Snow Geese at Nazareth Quarry in Northampton County was a spectacle never seen before locally.

It's not just the huge numbers. The cacophony of honking probably would have drowned out any excavation work being done by Eastern Industries Inc., which owns the quarry. 

The loud birds are not solitary creatures. They seem most comfortable in the company of a few dozen of their species. These small flocks in turn can merge into bigger flock of tens of thousands of geese.

Last Sunday's flock apparently was the biggest ever seen in the Lehigh Valley. The greatest number recorded previously was 30,000 geese seen in the winter of 2005-2006, according to Birds of the Lehigh Valley and Vicinity. That sighting also happened to occur at the Nazareth Quarry.

Black wing tips are noticeable in flight

A ban on hunting seems to have been the salvation of the Snow Goose. By 1900 their numbers had dwindled to 2,000 to 3,000 species, according to the National Audubon Society. 

Hunting ceased in 1916. Once the geese became accustomed to feeding on agricultural fields during the winter, their numbers surged. They became common in the Lehigh Valley starting in the 1980s. They are now among the most abundant waterfowl on the continent. 

Snow Geese are migratory. Their breeding area is the northernmost stretches of Canada, from the Northwest Territories to the Nunavut Territory around Baffin Island. The geese have flourished to such an extent that they pose a threat to the ecosystem of the Canadian tundra. Hunting was allowed again in 1975.

On the ground, their bodies appear nearly white, with their only other distinguishing features being their short black wingtips and a "grin patch," which looks as though they have black lips. But when the geese take to the sky, those black wingtips become very pronounced and quite striking.

Two "Blue Geese" are visible at lower left

Among the flock, you may see birds with a darker body and a white head. That's a color variant known as the "Blue Goose." The dark color is controlled by a single dominant gene. If a pure dark goose mates with a white goose, all of the offspring will be dark. If two white geese mate, their offspring always will be white.

Snow Geese forage mostly by walking in shallow water or on land. 

More information about Snow Geese is available on our December 2, 2016, posting.

The sighting on December 18 in Nazareth was reported to Dave DeReamus of the Eastern PA Birdline, of the Eastern PA Birdline, which is sponsored by the Lehigh Valley Audubon Society. Other species seen during the week ended December 23 include:

Williams Township, Northampton County

Rough-legged Hawk, 1 on December 17 (fly-by).

Beltzville State Park, Carbon County

Snow Bunting, an estimated 60 to at least December 20.

Peace Valley Park, Bucks County

Greater White-fronted Goose, 1 to at least December 22.

Cackling Goose, up to 6 at least to December 22.

Red-throated Loon, 1 to at least December 20.

Red-breasted Nuthatches continue to be reported from several sites during the week.

A little farther afield, a group of Red Crossbills was seen in the Owl Creek Reservoir along Owl Creek Road, east of Tamaqua in Schuylkill County.

Don't forget that the Christmas Bird County is scheduled for Saturday, December 31, for the Bethlehem/Easton/Hellertown area. To participate call organizers Don and Elaine Mease at 610-346-7754. You must enroll to join this annual event.

To report bird sightings to Dave DeReamus, send an e-mail to becard@rcn.com with the word "Birdline" in the subject heading.

A gift certificate is an easy last-minute choice

In a hurry for a last-minute Christmas gift and uncertain about what your favorite bird-lover would enjoy? The Bird House has gift certificates to make your shopping easy. You choose the amount. The recipient can come in at leisure at choose among our wide selection of products for backyard bird-watching.

The Bird House will be open on Christmas Eve--Saturday, December 24--from 10 a.m.to 3:30 p.m.

Have a great holiday!

Holiday gift idea: bird feeders

If you'd like to bring a bit of nature to your backyard, bird feeding is a must! You can scatter seed on the ground. But that comes with problems. Leftover seed may be consumed by critters of the night—ones that you'd rather not have around your property. Or the seed may become moldy. That won't entice the birds.

Using bird feeders is a better solution. Feeders can be designed for beauty or for utility. Or both. There are a lot of gift-giving options for the bird lovers on your Christmas list.

There are five basic types of feeders for use in the backyard:

• Tube feeders
• Hopper feeders
• Platform feeders
• Suet feeders
• Feeders designed for specific birds

Squirrel Buster Plus

Let's start with tube feeders. These can be hung from a shepherd's hook or a tree limb. Some can attached to the top of a metal pole. Here are a just a few of the models of tube feeders available at The Bird House.

Bothered by squirrels? The family of Squirrel Buster products is a solution. When a squirrel climbs onto the feeder's perch, its weight automatically forces down a metal shroud, closing the seed ports. The squirrel is foiled. The weight can be adjusted to keep out unwanted birds as well. The feeder is all metal, except for the chew-proof polycarbonate tube. It has a lifetime warranty. We've had a lot of customer satisfaction from these feeders. Four different sizes are available.

Droll Yankees Flipper

Another squirrel-proof line of products comes from Droll Yankees. At first glance, the Flipper seems like other feeders: a powder-coated metal cap and bottom, a UV-stabilized polycarbonate tube and solid metal perches. Birds can perch freely. However, when a squirrel alights, its weight triggers a battery-powered motor to spin the little critter until it loses its grip and is thrown gently onto the ground.

A similar Droll Yankees product, the Whipper, has four covered perches that enables cardinals and other small songbirds to eat. Each perch is individually sprung and calibrated to collapse when a squirrel tries to alight. Made in the United States, Droll Yankees offers a lifetime warranty against squirrel damage.

Caged tube feeder

Another way of dealing with squirrels is to encase the tube feeder in a metal cage. The mesh of the cage is wide enough for finches, chickadees, nuthatches, Downy Woodpeckers, siskins, sparrows and other small birds to enter. However squirrels—as well as larger birds such as starlings—cannot get in. The feeder is refilled by simply lifting the metal cap.

If you are lucky enough to not have a squirrel problem (or if you use a baffle to block squirrels from your feeder, try one of the Droll Yankees tube feeders. They range in size from 15 inches long to 23 inches and have four to six seed ports. The newest model, the Pull Ring feeder, features rustproof metal parts and a polycarbonate tube. It's easy to clean. Just pull the rod and the tube comes apart. Assembled in the United States, the feeder has a lifetime warranty against squirrel damage.


Hopper Feeders

Cedar hopper feeder

Hopper feeders are both attractive and functional. Some birds, such as cardinals and Mourning Doves, are more comfortable landing of a wide, flat perch. 

We carry several styles of hopper feeders from American manufacturers. The feeders attract cardinals, chickadees, finches, nuthatches, titmice, Mourning Doves, towhees and Downy Woodpeckers.

Birds Choice, for instance, has two different sizes of hopper feeders made of durable, long-lasting cedar. 

Fly-thru feeder

Made in the United States, the feeder is assembled with UV-resistant polycarbonate panels, weather-resistant screws and plastic-coated steel cable. As with the tube feeders, the hopper feeders can be filled with black oil sunflower seed, sunflower chips, safflower or white millet seeds, or cracked corn.

Several hopper feeders are built of 5/8-inch polylumber, a recycled material made of plastic jugs and bottles. (Some of the larger feeders reuse 31 milk jugs!) Birds Choice's hopper feeders have a lifetime guarantee never to split, crack or fade. They come in a variety of colors, including taupe and green. Some have attractive red or blue roofs.

"Fly-thru" feeders allow birds to enter and feed as they please. They have no walls, just a roof and a bottom. The bottoms are made of rust-resistant metal mesh to drain water away from the seed. Smaller ones can be hung these from shepherd's hooks or trees. Larger ones must be placed on the top of 4x4 posts.

Platform Feeders

Platform feeder

For some birds, flat platforms—with no roofs—serve as ideal feeders. The platform feeders can be made of cedar or polylumber. They have rust-resistant screws and mesh screens for drainage. Some sit on legs close to the ground. Others hang from shepherd's hooks or from tree limbs. Others are placed atop metal poles or 4-x-4 posts.

One advantage is that any kind of seed can be offered to the birds, even shelled peanuts, which are favorites of Blue Jays, a beautiful bird, noisy as it is. A ground-level platform feeder may attract birds accustomed to pecking for seed down low. For instance, juncos, cardinals, sparrows and Mourning Doves will come to this feeder.

Suet Feeders

If you are not offering suet at your bird feeder, you are missing out on a lot of bird-watching action. Woodpeckers, nuthatches, Tufted Titmice, chickadees and sparrows love suet. 

Caged suet feeder

Suet consists mostly of rendered beef. However other ingredients are added to made the bird's meal an even more enticing experience. Some suet contains peanuts, almonds, insects or blueberries, Another type contains a mixture of fruit, berries and nuts. If you have squirrel problems, try hot pepper suit. It's too spicy for squirrels but songbirds have few tastebuds so they don't mind. (A friend used to hang hot pepper suet on a 3-foot-high post. Squirrels never touched it but the birds did.) 

One cake actually contains relatively little suet. It's especially for woodpeckers: held together by glycerine, the cake consists of peanuts, sunflower chips and corn.

If squirrels or starlings are a problem, caged suet feeders are the solution. Several models have two cakes of suet encased by a cage made of powered-coated or galvanized metal. The metal roof both protects the suet from rain and keeps the squirrels out. The feeders are easy to refill.

Woodpecker feeders

Tail-prop woodpecker feeder

Some birds have their own feeding preferences. Naturally manufacturers have stepped forward to make the birds' job easier.

Birds Choice's Woodpecker Feeder, for instance, is made of long-lasting cedar and heavy-duty acrylic panels. Woodpeckers feed from each end; the feeder has a long base because woodpeckers use their tails to stabilize themselves while they feed or cling to trees.

One of the most popular woodpecker feeder is the Birds Choice "tail prop" feeder. Made in the United States, of polylumber and rust-proof coated wire mesh, the feeder holds one suet cake. The feeder is best hung from a shepherd's hook. 

Nyjer feeders

Goldfinches enjoy eating small-sized seeds. In nature, they prefer the seeds of coneflowers, black-eyed susans and certain wildflowers. But they really seem to enjoy Nyjer, a tiny black-colored seed that is commonly known as thistle. Because the seed is so small, special feeders are required so the seed doesn't tumble onto the ground. 

Nyjer feeders usually are tube-style feeders with four or six perches to accommodate ports notched into the sides of polycarbonate tubes. Inevitably a few seeds fall onto the ground. However these do not sprout. The seed is imported from India, Burma and other locations. Federal regulations require these seeds be heat-treated to prevent them from germinating. 

Another advantage of Nyjer feeders is that squirrels do not eat Nyjer. Goldfinches won't be the only visitors. Chickadees and Downy Woodpeckers enjoy the seed as well.

Hummingbird feeders

The Bird House offers seven different kinds of hummingbird feeders. One of the favorites is Dr. JB's Hummingbird Feeder, which has four flower-like ports. Most hummingbird feeders are made of color-stable plastics and plastic or glass nectar containers. 

The feeders should be cleaned at least twice a week to prevent the development of mold which can harm the birds. Usually the feeders are hung from shepherd's hooks but low-hanging branches also serve well. The Bird House offers powdered nectar that is dissolved in water; you can also make your own preparation using sugar but it requires boiling first.

Window feeders

Window-placed feeders allow you to watch hungry birds feed closeup. 

One model consists of polylumber and a metal mesh screen for drainage. The feeder includes two suction cups to attach the feeder to the window. Two metal props provide additional support from the window sill. Other models are made of lightweight clear plastic. These are affixed to the window by suction cups. These feeders tend to be smaller and are meant for smaller birds.

Keep in mind that window feeders cannot be used if you have a window screen. In addition, remember that you will need to refill the feeder from outdoors. Place the feeder out of reach of squirrels. Their weight can topple the feeder. Squirrels cannot jump more than 5 feet above the ground or 8 feet from nearby decks or vegetation.

Products sold at The Bird House may run short close to the holidays so hurry in for the best selection!

Holiday gift idea: all-season bird baths

A junco enjoys an ice-free bird bath

Heated bird baths are essential at this time of year. Birds need water for drinking and bathing. When puddles and backyard ponds are frozen, what do they do?

They might get a little liquid from frozen berries but they can't bathe. If snow is available, they might take "snow baths." Ingesting snow for drinking only leads to hypothermia, making it more difficult for birds to maintain a healthy body temperature.

Birds might fly to bubbling creeks but these may be located outside their normal territory. Long flights burn off calories that the birds need to stay alive. The biggest water source in our area is the Lehigh River. In some places there are small watering holes. Other locations are steeply sloped and the current is fast moving. Birds can get swept into the rushing water.

You can take a simple step to resolve these problems—and one that may make your bird-watching experience all the more fascinating: placing a heated bird bath in your backyard.

Heated baths come in two styles: one that has a heater integrated into the bowl or one that has an external de-icer that can be added to a conventional bath. (If you use a de-icer, make sure your existing bath can withstand wintertime temperature fluctuations.)

All-Season 3-in-1 Bath

One misconception about heated bird baths is that they will turn the bath into a sauna. They won't. They have thermostatic controls meant to keep the water temperature just above the freezing point. The water will remain largely free of ice, giving the birds an opportunity to drink and bathe. Most also have gently sloped bowls, enticing birds to enter, and rims for birds to make use their claws for stability.

The Bird House has several models available for this holiday gift-giving season.

The All-Season 3-in-1 Bath is unique in that it has the widest number of options for mounting. The bath can be placed at ground level, clamped to the rail of an outdoor deck or affixed to a fence post or deck post. (All hardware is included.) The thermostatically controlled heater is an electricity-miser, activating at 75 watts only when the temperature falls to 32 degrees. The heating element is hidden within the bowl. Another nice feature is that the electric cord can be tucked under the bowl so you can use the bath has a pleasing look during every season of the year.

The All-Season Heated Bird Bath from Birds Choice is more powerful at 120 watts. It promises to remain ice-free to minus 20 degrees. It too is thermostatically controlled to save energy. The heating element is in the bowl and is easy to clean. This bath includes a textured surface to make it easier for birds to alight and navigate. The bath is mounted on a metal stand. Made in the United States, the bath carries a four-year warranty on manufacturers' parts. 

The Allied All-Season Bird Bath is designed for year round use. The bowl is supported on a durable metal stand. Like the other baths, the heating element is hidden beneath the bowl. When spring arrives, you can leave the bath unplugged or you can remove the heating plate, cord and all, and store them until the next time cold weather arrives. Made in the United States, the bath is economical to operate, running on 50 watts of current.

Allied Heated Bird Bath

The Allied Heated Bird Bath is the most powerful of the three, having a 150-watt heating element concealed beneath the bowl. The manufacturer says the bird bath has been field-tested to below-zero conditions. A textured surface and a gradual slope encourages bathing. The bath is the widest of the three, measuring 20 inches in diameter. It is meant for attaching to a deck railing (the hardware is included). Made in the United States, the bath has a one-year warranty.

If you already have a bird bath that can withstand the cold, consider adapting your bath to wintertime use by placing a de-icer in the bowl. The de-icer has a thermostatically controlled wand that keeps the water above freezing. It doesn't overheat the water, so it poses no injury to birds' feet. The nonstick aluminum coating has a large heating area. The wand includes a 10-foot-long weathertight electrical cord. Made in the United States, the de-icer has a three-year warranty. 

De-icer

(One word of caution: Burley Clay baths may not work well even with a de-icer. Some baths are clay with just a light finish. Clay absorbs water. When water freezes, the ice expands, splitting the bird bath. Burley Clay baths work splendidly in warmer months, and they are among the most beautiful ones on the market today.)

Naturally a heated bird bath or a de-icer must be connected to an outdoor electrical outlet using a weather-proof extension cord. Many newer houses have outdoor outlets, especially around patios. Check the location of your outlet to decide whether a heated bird bath is right for you.

Click Shield cord protector

Plastic wrap sealed with electric tape can be used to prevent water or snow from seeping into the connection between the bird bath and the extension cord. Better yet, you can purchase a Click Shield, a weather-resistant cord lock. The internal gasket assures a tight, unbreakable connection. When spring arrives, just click the connection to reopen the device and disconnect the electric cords. The Click Shield easily blends into the landscape.

Four cautions about buying a bird bath: 

• During very cold weather, ice may form on the lips of the bowl of a heated bird bath. That's not unusual. Heating elements usually don't extend to the lips; manufacturers confine them to the bowl, where the water is. The birds are able to grasp onto any ice build-up.
• Stay away from aquarium heaters popular at pet stores. They're meant for indoor use only. 
• Forget trough heaters. They are meant for livestock and are apt to generate too much heat, which will harm the birds. 
• Solar heaters do not work in our area. We've tried them. They require direct sun on the black top, usually take until late afternoon to melt the ice, and as the sun falls, the water refreezes and the whole sad cycle continues. Our area contains too much cloud cover, and the temperatures too cold. 

If you buy an all-season or heated bird bath, you might want to consider the location. Keep in mind the outdoor electric outlet. Probably the best wintertime site is close to a window or a patio. That way, you'll get the maximum enjoyment watching the birds drink, bathe and jockey for their turn!

Products sold at The Bird House may run short close to the holidays so hurry in for the best selection!

The Bird House will be open on Wednesday. December 21, for shoppers who are hurrying to complete their Christmas shopping rounds. The hours are 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

We also will be open on Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Last-minute shoppers have to hurry on Saturday. We'll be open on Christmas Eve beginning at 10 a.m. but will close at 3:30 p.m.

Our regular hours will resume on Monday, December 26.

Books for novices and pros alike

How about something different for the special birder on your Christmas list?

The Bird House offers a variety of birding books. We highly recommend Birds of the Lehigh Valley and Vicinity, the premier guidebook for bird-watching in the region. It contains a wealth of information for backyard birding enthusiasts and serious birders who enjoy walking through the many parks, trails and woodlands of our area.

The book was written by three acknowledged birding experts and was published by the Lehigh Valley Audubon Society. The guide lists not only the species found in our area but also their relative abundance. Color photographs of commonly seen species are included for easy identification.

More than 50 excellent birding locations are listed in the guidebook, along with driving information (including GPS coordinates) and the kinds of species you are likely to see at a given time of the year.

For instance, if you plan to visit Jacobsburg State Park in Northampton County, the book suggests the species to watch for. Pause in the brushy woods near the bird blind to look for flycatchers, redstarts and tanagers. A stand of hemlocks and oaks, located at an outcropping of slate, is a good place to see woodpeckers and thrushes. Walk down a nearby trail for the best place for migrating warblers in the spring. A bit farther is a tranquil area where hawks soar above and vireos and orioles flit among evergreens.

Even if you confine your bird-watching to the backyard or neighborhood, the book illustrates which species you are most likely to see during each season of the year. For instance, if you enjoy the many different kinds of sparrows in our area, you'll know when to expect the arrival of American Tree Sparrows and White-throated Sparrows in the winter and when Chipping Sparrows are bound to arrive in the spring. When do catbirds arrive and juncos arrive and depart? That's in the book.

For the novice, Birds of Pennsylvania and Stokes Field Guide to Birds provides page after page of locally seen species, with each page color-coded. Let's suppose you are walking along Lehigh Canal and you see a medium-sized duck with a green head. Check the green color pages. You'll be able to determine whether you saw a Mallard or a Northern Shoveler.

Another option is merging sight and sound. Birds of Pennsylvania also offers an audio CD to accompany the field guide. Think of how much you'll appreciate the advantage of hearing birds that are not immediately visible! Warblers and thrushes are often heard and not seen. By taking your hand-carry CD player with you into the woods or fields, you can use the two senses to enjoy your bird-watching trip.

Lovers of owls might enjoy a book by naturalist Scott Weidensaul, an internationally recognized author who began his writing career at a newspaper in nearby Pottsville and is now a contributing editor of Audubon magazine. Weidensaul's specialty is owls, having written the Peterson Reference Guide to Owls of North America and the Caribbean and directed Project Owlnet, a bird-banding operation meant to learn more about these secretive nocturnal lives of these amazing creatures.

Lehigh Valley bird sightings for week of December 16

Canvasback (male, at left, and female)

Here are the Lehigh Valley bird sightings for the week ended December 16. The list was compiled by Dave DeReamus, of the Eastern PA Birdline, which is sponsored by the Lehigh Valley Audubon Society.

Martins Creek Power Plant, Northampton County
(at the boat launch area)
Spotted Sandpiper, 1 on December 11.

Beltzville State Park, Carbon County
Snow Bunting, 34 on December 14.

Green Lane Reservoir, Montgomery County
(at the Walt Road area)
Greater White-fronted Goose, 1 on December 15.
Cackling Goose, 1 on December 15.
Gadwall, 143 on December 12.
Also seen: Common Goldeneye, Double-crested Cormorant and American Pipit.

Lake Nockamixon, Bucks County
Long-tailed Duck, 2 on December 15.
Redhead, 2 on December 15.
Bonaparte's Gull, 17 on December 15.

Peace Valley Park, Bucks County
Greater White-fronted Goose, 1 on December 13.
Cackling Goose, 2 on December 13.
Canvasback, 1 on December 13.
Redhead, 3 on December 14.
Red-throated Loon, 1 to at least December 15.
Lesser Black-backed Gull, 230 on December 10.

Red-breasted Nuthatches continue to be reported from several sites this week.

To report bird sightings to Dave DeReamus, send an e-mail to becard@rcn.com with the word "Birdline" in the subject heading.

New Product: Fruit Feeder

Looking for a new way of attracting fruit-loving birds to your backyard? Try this new feeder. Woodpeckers, cardinals, chickadees, robins, mockingbirds and orioles will feast on oranges, pears or apples. Birds can eat from either side of the feeder. The feeder is made of western cedar, a durable wood that will last for many seasons. A metal cable is included for hanging. American-made.

New Product: Whole Peanut Feeder

Woodpeckers, Blue Jays and Tufted Titmice love peanuts in the shell. It's fun to watch them choose a peanut. Studies show that Blue Jays will pick up one peanut before choosing the heaviest one! This feeder holds up to a half pound of peanuts and is easy to fill and clean. Crafted of durable plastic material similar to the kind used for patio decks, this American-made feeder will last for many years.

Special hours for the shopping season

The Bird House will be open on Wednesdays for the Christmas shopping season. (That's December 14 and 21.) 

Wednesday holiday hours are the same as regular weekday hours: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

We're also open on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Mr. Snowman feeder

When the weather outside is frosty, and the snow shows no sign of stopping, it's an ideal time to offer your songbirds seed from a Mr. Snowman feeder! 

These metal-mesh feeders are well suited for black oil sunflower seed, which is a favorite of chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers, cardinals and other songbirds. 

The Mr. Snowman feeder needs no perches; birds cling to the mesh wire as they feed. Just pop open the snowman's top hat to refill. The feeder has a metal chain for hanging.

Mr. Snowman will be a welcome visitor to your backyard all season long—even on those days when snow has yet to fall.

Lehigh Valley bird sightings for week of December 9

Greater White-fronted Goose

Here are the Lehigh Valley bird sightings for the week ended December 9. The list was compiled by Dave DeReamus, of the Eastern PA Birdline, which is sponsored by the Lehigh Valley Audubon Society.

Martins Creek Environmental Preserve, Northampton County
(Tekening area)
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, 1 on December 4.

Nazareth Quarry, Northampton County
Redhead, 2 on December 8.

Green Lane Reservoir, Montgomery County
(at the Walt Road area)
Greater White-fronted Goose, 1 on December 5 and December 6.
Cackling Goose, 4 on December 4.
Red-breasted Merganser, 3 on December 7 (fly-by's).
Red-throated Loon, 1 from December 4 to at least December 6.
Black-necked Stilt, 1 on December 8.
Also seen: Common Goldeneye and Double-crested Cormorant.

Peace Valley Park, Bucks County
Greater White-fronted Goose, 1 on December 2 and December 3.
Cackling Goose, 2 on December 8.
Red-throated Loon, 1 on December 8.
Bonaparte's Gull, 1 on December 3.

Red-breasted Nuthatches continued to be reported from several sites during the week.

To report bird sightings to Dave DeReamus, send an e-mail to becard@rcn.com with the word "Birdline" in the subject heading.

Christmas Bird Count is about to begin

You can be part of the largest census of bird populations on the planet starting on Saturday. The Christmas Bird Count is fun but it's also a crucial element in scientific research and conservation programs.

You can volunteer to tally all birds seen or heard on a specific day—not just the species but also the number of birds per species. To participate, you must sign up by calling the organizer of your particular area.

The Lehigh Valley Audubon Society is conducting  three separate counts:

Allentown. Saturday, December 17. The organizer is Rett Oren. Call 484-985-5685 to participate.

Wild Creek/Little Gap. Sunday, December 18. Organizer: Corey Music. Call 570-269-7509 to participate.

Bethlehem/Easton/Hellertown. Saturday, December 31. Organizers: Don and Elaine Mease. Call 610-346-7754 to participate.

The Christmas Bird Count is organized by the National Audubon Society. Last year more than 76,000 volunteers counted 58.8 million birds, representing 2,607 different species, in 2,505 counts worldwide.

One disturbing finding from last year was the continued decline of the Northern Bobwhite, the only native quail in the eastern United States. Record low numbers of these birds were observed.

Christmas Bird Count volunteers also will be on the lookout for sightings of the Eurasian Collared-Dove, an Old World species that was introduced in the Bahamas in the 1970s and has since spread in great numbers from North Carolina to the Great Lakes.

There is a specific methodology for the Christmas Bird Count. Each count takes place in an established circle that is 15 miles in diameter. Volunteers follow specified routes.

If your home happens to be within one of those 15-mile-wide circles, you can do your counting at home by observing birds that visit your backyard bird feeder or bird bath. To do so, however, you must make arrangements beforehand with the organizer of the count. One other requirement: The count must be made on the date specified. Any sightings reported before or after that date will not be included in the census.

Last year 55 participants in the Allentown count reported 81 different species. Eleven people took part in the Wild Creek/Little Gap count. Even though fewer people were searching, a total of 77 species were seen. The 44 volunteers in the Bethlehem-Easton-Hellertown count recorded 83 species.

Data collected from the Christmas Bird Count, as well as the Breeding Bird Survey in the late spring, has been used to assess the extent and effects of global climate change. For instance, the National Audubon Society forecast that 314 species of North American birds will lose half or more of their current range by 2080. Federal agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency and the Fish and Wildlife Service, have used data from the Christmas Bird Count to evaluate the health of bird populations.

Populations of backyard birds

What does the Christmas Bird Count tell us about some of our favorite backyard birds?

You probably make a mental count of the kinds of birds that come to your backyard feeders or bird baths at this time of year. But did you ever wonder which of these species are most numerous in different parts of the country during this season?

Last year's Christmas Bird Count showed that the community with the greatest number of Northern Cardinals was Ragersville, Ohio, a small town southwest of Canton. That town counted 1,772 cardinals within a 15-mile-wide circle.

Concord, Massachusetts, found 3,118 Black-capped Chickadees within the town's 15-mile circle. Concord also had 751 Downy Woodpeckers, 1,108 White-breasted Nuthatches, 1,965 Tufted Titmice, 2,958 Dark-eyed Juncos and 1,692 American Goldfinches—the most numerous of any of these species reported in the United States. What a busy place Concord must be!

The highest number of backyard species were recorded in these locales:

• Mourning Dove, 8,966 in Phoenix, Arizona
• Ruby-throated Hummingbird, 84 in Kendall, Florida
• American Crow, 74,000 in Illinois' Middle Fork River Valley
• Red-breasted Nuthatch, 395 in Anchorage, Alaska
• Eastern Bluebird, 727 in the northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia
• American Robin, 46,801 in Mizpah, New Jersey, which is located between Vineland and Mays Landing
• Gray Catbird, 1,100 on Long Pine Key, Florida
• Northern Mockingbird, 575 in Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas (northeast of Corpus Christi)
• House Wren, 243 in Matagorda County, Texas (midway between Corpus Christi and Houston)
• Chipping Sparrow, 3,169 in Atascosa Highlands in Arizona
• White-throated Sparrow, 4,281 in Fort Belvoir, Virginia
• White-crowned Sparrow, 5,066 in Stockton, California
• Song Sparrow, 1,630 in Sequim-Dungeness in northwest Washington
• Baltimore Oriole, 60 in Gainesville, Florida
• House Finch, 3,636 in Tucson Valley, Arizona
• Purple Finch, 945 in in Petersburg, New Hampshire
• Pine Siskin, 2,304 in Saranac Lake, New York
• House Sparrow, 4,270 in Davenport, Iowa

If you are one of the many backyard birders who dislike European Starlings, thank your lucky stars that you aren't living in Rio Cosumnes, a small town south of Sacramento, California. Volunteers there found 393,630 starlings in the single day of the Christmas Bird Count!

Closer to home, western Chester County in Pennsylvania reported 638,731 Common Grackles.

Brown-headed Cowbirds must have made Pine Prairie, Louisiana, their winter vacation home. Last year, the town's Christmas Bird Count estimated a population of more than 1 million of these birds (so many cowbirds that hand-counting proved impossible).

One note of local significance: Upper Bucks County reported 136 Eastern Screech-Owls.

The Christmas Bird Count is a lot of fun. You'll never know what you might see on that day!

New Product: Ornate-style Suet Feeder

Looking for something different in a suet feeder? This all-metal feeder features an ornate-looking grill that serves as a convenient perch for birds. 

The side latch makes for easy filling of suet cakes for woodpeckers, nuthatches and chickadees. It also can be used to serve fruit. In the spring, the metal feeder can be cleaned and put to use as a holder for nesting material. 

The feeder is designed to hold a standard-size suet cake. Made of durable powder-coated metal construction, the feeder includes a metal loop for hanging from a shepherd's hook.

Birdie Wreaths are back

Birdie Wreaths are a holiday favorite since 2003!

What would the holiday season be without a Christmas Birdie Wreath? They're attractive outdoor décor but they're also delectable seed for backyard songbirds. 

Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers, sparrows, and House Finches will peck at the wreaths to feed on sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, millet seeds, shelled peanuts and other morsels. Bird-friendly dye adds a touch of color to the wreaths, which include a red bow and a tie for hanging beneath a tree branch or pole or alongside a fence. 

Buy one for yourself or as a gift to a bird-lover. Hurry in—the wreaths are available only during the holiday season!

Stocking stuffer: Scramble Squares

These colorful puzzles will be a test for everyone, regardless of age. Kids will love the bright colors, and adults will love the challenge.

Each Scramble Square puzzle consists of nine squares that form a design when arranged correctly. Each individual square has only half of a different design on each side. You must match each side to complete the puzzle.

It seems simple enough. Placing the first few pieces is easy. But when you're down to one or two pieces that don't match up, that's where the challenge begins! It takes a lot of thinking and imagining to arrange and rearrange the pieces until you get all nine squares placed in the right order. Solving the puzzle requires a plenty of determination and a bit of time!

We had a long-standing offer to give away a puzzle if a customer can solve it while at the store. The customer will sometimes spend 10 minutes shifting the puzzle pieces around, only to leave scratching their heads when two or three of the squares don't match up! After 13 years in business, we've given out only three Scramble Square puzzles!

Scramble Squares are ideal stocking-stuffers as Christmas gifts. And consider buying one just for yourself. The puzzles are a great way to pass gloomy winter weekend afternoons.

We carry a range of colorful designs, including North American birds, hummingbirds, penguins, owls, woodpeckers and wetland birds. Also available are other natural creatures (ladybugs, frogs, turtles and dragonflies) and the roses.

Hurry in for the best selection!

It's not too late to clean out nesting boxes

Just like a dirty feeder, dirty houses are less attractive to backyard birds.  Dirty bird houses can also harbor rodents, insects, feather mites, fungus and bacteria that can spread disease to nesting birds and vulnerable hatchlings. Houses should be cleaned after the nesting brood has fledged or left the nest.

For many bird species, a single cleaning after the end of the breeding season is sufficient. In temperate regions where birds may raise multiple broods, however, the bird house can be cleaned between each new family to encourage more nesting.

Open the nesting box and brush out the old nesting material and any clumped matter including feces. Bag the material in a plastic bag for disposal in case there are parasites.

Inspect the house for loose hinges, protruding nails or screws and large splinters that could injure a bird. Make sure that the ventilation and drainage holes are unobstructed.

When selecting a bird house look for a house that has a removable or hinged panel so cleaning is easy.

Leave clean houses up for winter for roosting and clean them again in the spring so they are ready for breeding birds. A 1-inch layer of wood shavings on the bottom of the box will provide added warmth against winter's icy winds and storms.

By cleaning a bird house properly, backyard birders provide a safe, happy home for their backyard birds. Clean houses will attract more nesting birds, and generation after generation of healthy birds can be raised in suitable bird houses.