Cherry Valley Feeder Deluxe Metal Suet Cage www.amazon.com Avant Yarde Lantern Style Hummingbird Feeder, Rustic Metal and Glass, 14 3/4 Inches High www.amazon.com Heath Outdoor Products AH-12D Martin House Aluminum www.amazon.com Esschert Design Wren Bird House – Antique Wash with Copper Roof www.amazon.com API 390 Water Rippling Bird Bath with Pedestal and Water Wiggler www.amazon.com Perky-Pet Opus PLS Oriole Feeder www.amazon.com Duncraft 74405 Songbird One Way Mirror Window Bird Feeder www.amazon.com Heritage Farms Squirrel Diner, Squirrel Feeder www.amazon.com Midas-Lin Co Ltd-Import Dragontabletop Birdbath C325-62 Bird Bath www.amazon.com Morning Song Clean and Free www.amazon.com

Learn about various bird feeders for backyardbirding in this free bird watching video Expert: Wayne R. Petersen Contact: www.massaudubon.org Bio: Wayne R. Petersen is director of the Massachusetts Important Bird Areas (IBA) program at the Massachusetts Audubon Society. Filmmaker: Christian Munoz-Donoso

Learn about various bird feeders to use for your backyard to begin backyardbirding in this free bird watching video Expert: Wayne R. Petersen Contact: www.massaudubon.org Bio: Wayne R. Petersen is director of the Massachusetts Important Bird Areas (IBA) program at the Massachusetts Audubon Society. Filmmaker: Christian Munoz-Donoso

With the coming of autumn in the Northern hemisphere, there is the usual migration of birds to warmer areas of the continent. There are a number of challenges that go along with birding in the autumn.

Young birds are harder to identify as their plumage may not have reached maturity. They may not match up to the bird you are looking at in your standard birder’s guide. Birds may also be molting at this time of year. Another issue may be the changing color of the leaves and the grey skies of fall (depending on your location and the exact time you are bird watching of course). Hawks and other autumn-toned birds can be harder to spot.

Best binoculars

To spy birds best, you will ideally use a well-kept pair of 8x-12x binoculars to see birds from far away – across wetlands and ponds, for example. You will want to carry a tripod with you, so you can set up for long views (especially with lenses of 50mm or wider). A retractable tripod will make it easy for you to quickly move to get a better view.

Backyard Bird Watching with Your Binoculars

There are a number of things you can do to improve your bird watching experience for autumn.

In preparation for the winter, you can build a winter roosting box. This will increase your experience with birds. These boxes have a door underneath or near the bottom and are more spacious than other bird houses. This allows birds to get inside and out of the cold winter wind. On sunny winter days, you will have more birds to keep you company, especially if you can keep them out of the cold other days. You will increase the variety of birds you see if you increase the variety of bird houses you own. Provide birds with water.

If you are in the northern states or Canada, unfrozen water will be harder for them to find. If you can supply them with a consistent source of water, they will stay around. Suet: get to it! You can make your own or you can stock up. Suet is the easiest way to feed birds and it is very valuable to them in the cold winter months. Suet is really only fat; you can grab a pack of lard from the corner store. Leave some of the dead flowers in your garden. These are full of seeds. You won’t need to keep all of them for next year’s planting; leave them, and you just may be rewarded with a rare sighting. Keep your binoculars clean and keep your field guide at hand – preferably near your window onto your backyard. During the migration season you may see birds that are completely unfamiliar to you. Avid, vigilant birdwatchers find at least one or two surprises every season.

Bear in mind that seeds and berries are plentiful in autumn, so birds may not be attracted to your bird feeder. If you need to get out to where the birds are, water is the place to go. Know the local hotspots where rarely seen birds tend to congregate.

Use Google or other mapping resources to find all the secluded ponds in your area. This is where the wild and rare birds will be found, the ones that are not used to civilization. Check out all the coves and bays of any coastline near you. The key, as always is to be patient and to have your binoculars ready.

Winter Birding

Once winter comes and the leaves have all fallen from deciduous trees, you will be able to tell who has been nesting near you. Identifying nests is an underrated part of bird watching. This is a fascinating way to increase your knowledge the birds in your area.

Gardman BA01136 Pedestal Bird Bath Verdigris www.amazon.com Heritage Farms Seeds n More Metal Hopper Bird Feeder www.amazon.com Droll Yankees PWRSTK Power Stick for Yankee Series Feeders www.amazon.com No No GB5F00340 Green and Black Finch Feeder www.amazon.com Liberty Products SQC05 Black Squirrel Stopper Pole and Baffle Set www.amazon.com Perky-Pet 7103-2 Copper Triple Tube Bird Feeder www.amazon.com Garden Song 101-4 Dine Around Window Bird Feeder www.amazon.com Wagner’s 62050 Nyjer Seed, 10-Pound Bag www.amazon.com “RailHook 30 Inch” Deck Rail or Fence Hanger www.amazon.com Hiatt Manufacturing Adjustable Deck Hanger Bird Feeder www.amazon.com

This Oriole-Fest Oriole Feeder from Birds Choice is our best selling feeder – and for good reason! This all-in-one feeder allows you to feed citrus slices, nectar and jelly at the same time! The bright orange color and built in ant moat will keep your orioles on this feeder all summer. You can find the Oriole-Fest feeder here: www.forthewildbirds.com For the Wild Birds and www.forthewildbirds.com specialize in providing knowledge gained by experience and high quality products to our customers. In addition to selling fresh seed, we also carry feeders, houses and accessories from great brands like Droll Yankees, WoodLink, Birds Choice, Perky-Pet, Erva and more! You can find us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/forthewildbirds

This is a short clip, taken from our kitchen window, showing a Wilson’s Snipe that briefly visited our back yard on October 1, 2010.

The Tennessee Aquarium in downtown Chattanooga has 50 birds inside the River Journey building. They represent 20 native species and free-fly throughout the Cove Forest exhibit. As you can imagine, feeding them is a big job. But did you know that you have to be a top-notch chef with skills that include preparing and presenting these meals? Aviculturist Loribeth Aldrich describes being chef to the birds in this video. Learn more at www.TennesseeAquarium.org .

Well, here is another tip and just in time for a busy wasp and yellow jacket season. For the past two years, I’ve researched and worked with “mint” as an insecticide and deterrent for wasps, ants, and mosquitoes. Researching online, chats with a local herbologist and of course, experimenting with my new brain child.

Some insects are attracted by color. Others by smell and yet some hunt and feed by both sight and smell. Most insects hate to smell of mint and plants in the mint family. Mint is also a Neuro-toxin to wasps. Get some mint on a wasp and it is one dead insect. Are you getting the idea yet?

Every time you clean and fill your hummingbird feeder, dab some “mint extract” on the feeder and the hanger. Wasps and yellow jackets will stay away or risk death. Because mint is a food item, it wont harm birds. Hummers, like most birds have poor sniffers and the strong smell of mint doesn’t bother them at all.

Serve up a mixture of 1 oz. pure mint extract and 10 oz. rubbing alcohol. Spray your nest boxes thoroughly and let it soak in. The rubbing alcohol evaporates causing no harm and the smell of mint lingers for up to 4 weeks. Continue to spray as needed. If there is already a wasp nest in your box, spray the wasps and watch them die before your eyes.

I haven’t dealt with blowflies, but I am interested in finding out if “mint” will kill or keep blowflies out of nest boxes. Anyone interested in assisting here?

Try this out as well. Mix 1 oz. of mint with 15 oz. of rubbing alcohol. You now have an insect repellent. While using this, the mosquitoes have left me alone and I smell good too.

As the dog days of summer pass us by, wasps and yellow jackets are becoming more aggressive in their hunt to feed an ever growing population of larvae. Fortunately, here in Michigan winter kills off all but the queens. But what about warmer climates where a wasp population can grow and grow and grow,

Try it, “Mint Extract” an insect repellent that is earth friendly. Amazing how nature provides for her self isn’t it?

Ronald Patterson has a passion for wildbirds. He’s been feeding and caring for birds for more then 40 years. Ron is a “Wildlife Habitat Naturalist” and “Michigan Certified Nurseryman.” He also lectures and writes about birds and other wildlife. His expertise and knowledge on birds, habitats, and plants makes him the ideal person to help you learn to garden for birds. Ron Patterson’s writes a weekly newsletter called “Backyard Birding Tips.” You can sign up today and have Ron give you friendly and often humorous advise on Attractting, feeding and caring for wildlife. Go to: [http://www.backyardbirdingtips.com]

Sign up for Ron Patterson’s newsletter today and start learning from one of America’s backyard birding experts.

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