Attracting Purple Martins

(go to duncraft.com)male Purple Martin

Perhaps no other North American bird has a more interesting association with humans than the Purple Martin. As early as the 1800's, it was discovered that Native Americans had been providing the birds with hollowed out gourds to attract them to their dwellings. Martins were useful in driving off vultures, small hawks and crows from the vicinity, and it's possible that the Native Americans also appreciated the birds' voracious insect-eating appetites! 
 
Being insect eaters, martins won't be visitors at your feeders, but housing for martins is very important to the success of this bird. Over time, perhaps because of the safety of being near humans, and the success of provided nesting gourds, martins began to prefer nesting in close proximity to us and using man made housing over the natural cavities they previously used. Now martins use man made housing exclusively and are very particular about wanting to nest near their human benefactors.
  
All inclusive Purple Martin Package house and pole system 
The most important consideration for Martins is a proper habitat. The ideal spot for a Martin house would be in the center of a large open area, approximately 100 feet or less from your own dwelling and in fairly close proximity to a water source. Martins are strictly insect eaters and need open spaces to spot and dive for prey. Tall trees will harbor predators like hawks and owls, so Martins won't nest near wooded areas.Pre-assembled 12 room Purple Martin house
  
The next consideration in attracting and maintaining martins is housing. Make Duncraft your housing resource! Duncraft offers an excellent selection of martin houses and pole options. We have taken care to offer housing that has been time tested to be attractive to Martins, is easy to clean and maintain, and offer pole options that make accessing houses a breeze. And now Duncraft offers pre-assembled aluminum Martin houses. So, if you’re not handy, and dread figuring out all the pieces and screws, nuts and bolts it takes to assemble most aluminum martin houses, this could be the perfect option for you.
  
Male Purple MartinNew martin houses must be put up very early in the spring.  Most are equipped with door plugs to keep out invasive house sparrows and starlings that arrive earlier in spring than martins do. You'll have to be very dilligent in keeping these birds out of your houses and also be on the watch for other predators such as rodents. You can track the martin's journey north on the Purple Martin Society's website. But don't be discouraged if martins don’t occupy your house at first. Often it takes a few years for the right colony to find your house and settle in. Purple Martin decoys placed on the house help create the appearance of a nesting colony and may help attract new martins. And once martins begin to nest in your house, they will be back year after year.
  
So, talk to other landlords, join a few on-line forums, continue to expand your knowledge and enjoy your new hobby. And don't forget, when your birds return next year to raise the another generation...you'll be a grandparent!

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For expert assistance choosing martin houses, poles and accessories, contact us at:

Duncraft, Inc.   102 Fisherville Road, Concord  NH  03303   800-593-5656

The Beautiful Great Egret

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Great Egret in non-breeding plumage All summer long on my commute home from work, I had been seeing a group of Great Blue Herons in a marshy, beaver pond right off the highway. I was surprised that there were so many together, usually three to six at a time, feeding in the water.
 
One day, I noticed other birds with them that looked just like the herons, but were pure white. A little research proved the birds were Great Egrets—similar in size and appearance to the Great Blue Heron, but with snow-white plumage. Each day I'd see anywhere from three to five birds standing and feeding right alongside the herons. Unfortunately, the highway was too busy to pull over and really observe the A Great Egret takes flightbirds, but I felt lucky to see them as I whizzed past.
 
Great Egrets are magnificent birds, standing three feet in height with a four-foot wingspan. They are the largest of the five species of egrets in the U.S. They can be identified by their large size, large yellow bill and long, black legs. During breeding season, both males and females develop a long cloak of plumes that extend over the back and past their tails. The National Audubon Society was partly formed to protect the birds from being killed for their beautiful, pure white plumes and in 1953, chose the Great Egret in flight as their symbol.
 
Great Egret in breeding plumageThe Great Egret is now a common bird in the U.S. and can be seen in a variety of wetland habitats, including marshes, coastal tide flats, rivers, streams and flooded fields. They feed mostly on fish, but will also eat frogs, crayfish, small mammals and reptiles. They stalk their prey slowly and methodically, then strike out quickly to stab with their long bill. Their nests are built of sticks and greens and can be found in trees or shrubs with other herons and egrets. Great Egrets are migratory in their northern ranges, but are very influenced by temperature. During mild winters, they may stay in their summer breeding grounds as long as the waters stay open. If the waters freeze, Great Egrets will migrate southward, either alone or in loose v-shaped flocks.
 
I haven’t seen the egrets in the beaver pond for about a week now, and I don’t know if they’ve moved south yet or not.  I hope I see them again before the snow flies!
 
--R. Brune
 
 
 Duncraft, Inc.  102 Fisherville Road  Concord  NH  03303
800-593-5656
 
 
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Attract insect-eating and fruit-loving birds with suet!

To go to duncraft.com--click hereCatbird with suet. Photo by David Lindquist

Birds are always eating to satisfy their constant demand for energy--and fat provides the most concentrated source of calories in a bird’s diet. That translates into energy for flying, keeping warm, nesting, raising young and foraging. No wonder birds crave suet! In fact, you can attract many more birds with suet than you can with bird seed. Suet attracts insect and fruit eaters that Blue bird on a suet feeder. Photo by David Lindquistwon’t come to eat at a seed feeder. 

Along with your familiar seed eating birds, suet will attract insect eating bluebirds, catbirds, mockingbirds, tanagers, warblers, kinglets, wrens, shrikes, flickers, brown creepers and white-winged crossbills.
But when offering suet to these larger birds, remember that some of them are not able to cling like woodpeckers and chickadees.  A suet basket is fine for clinging birds, but some birds like mockingbirds and tanagers do better with a feeder they can land on to eat.  You can set suet out on a platform feeder, or you can situate your basket feeder so it's within reaching distance of a branch where these birds can perch. 
Suet is available in many flavors and varieties.  Suet cakes are the most common, but birds will also love suet Northern Flicker on suet cage. Photo by David Lindquistballs, fed from a suet ball feeder, suet plugs to fill a suet log feeder and suet nuggets. Nuts'n Bugs is a mix of suet and dried insects, perfect for insect eaters! And you can offer other types of high fat foods that will attract these birds too, such as peanut butter, vegetable shortening, and vegetable based suet pellets.
It's also important to offer suet and other fats to nesting birds.  Baby birds, even the babies of seed-eating parents, can't digest seeds until they're older--that's why parents spend so much time hunting for insects and bugs to feed them. But suet is a highly digestible, nourishing baby food that parents will take back to the nest. And suet is also used by wildlife rehabilitators to feed to orphaned nestlings.
When you offer suet, you'll not only enjoy having insect and fruit-eating birds in your yard for their beautiful colors and songs, but also because they help keep down insect populations. Attract them with suet in the spring and you'll enjoy your backyard all summer long with a lot less bugs!
* A special note regarding peanut products.  We have contacted all of our peanut vendors and have been assured that none of the peanuts used in any of our products have been affected by recent recalls.
* On another note, all the photos shown here were taken by customer David Lindquist with his Wingscapes BirdCam--proof that insect eaters really do love suet! 
 

Duncraft, Inc.  102 Fisherville Road, Concord NH  03303 

  800-593-5656

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Attract and enjoy Bluebirds

Attract and enjoy Bluebirds! Bluebirds are one of the most beautiful and desired of backyard birds. They can be found all across the country–and their names correspond to the region in which they are found; Eastern, Mountain and Western. Each differ somewhat in appearance and song, but they are all equally breathtaking and also prefer similar habitats. Because they are insect eaters, mainly feeding on ground dwelling insects, they prefer open areas such as parks, orchards, pastures and cemetaries where it is easier to spot their prey. Although bluebirds are now making a comeback, there was a time when their numbers had seriously declined. The ... (read more)

Introducing your Friends and Family to the Joy of Birds

To go to duncraft.com--click here What's more exciting for us birders than seeing a new bird at your feeder? I remember the first time I saw Evening Grosbeaks appear at my feeder, and then come back with a fledgling a few days later—I couldn't take my eyes off them. And I remember the summer I had orioles visit. On a whim, I put out some orange halves and hoped for the best—I was thrilled when two orioles showed up within days. I scrambled to find the binoculars so I could get a really good look. I’m sure you’ve done that too, and maybe even got a few snapshots.   But I think I love bird feeding the most on a ... (read more)

Choosing Bird Foods

(go back to duncraft.com) Choosing the right bird foods does make a difference in the kinds of birds you attract—and how much you spend on your hobby.  Some people ask, "Why pay more for seed from a specialty catalog or a specialty store when you can get the same thing cheaper at the grocery store?"  Well, it's not the same thing!—cheap bird seed is often full of sticks and other harvesting debris. And it usually contains a lot of “filler” seeds that most birds won’t eat, such as milo, wheat, and millet. These seeds are okay, but you don’t want them to predominate in the mix because they only ... (read more)

Welcome winter birds with ice-free water!

To go to duncraft.com--click here All creatures need water, and birds are no exception. Birds bathe in water to keep their feathers in top flight condition and to help keep parasites at a minimum.  Songbirds extract enough water from the fruits, berries and insects they eat in spring and summer, but these foods aren't available in winter. That's why providing drinking water in winter is especially important. Even an early fall frost can create an impenetrable layer of ice over a bird's normal water sources. Many times you will see birds gleaning water from leaves where melting frost provides a few small droplets, pecking at snow or drinking from a ... (read more)

Hangers and Poles make Winter Bird Feeding Easy!

To go to duncraft.com--click here Now is the time to start thinking about how you’re going to enjoy your birds this winter. When you have to tramp through deep snow and blowing winds to fill your feeders, some of the fun goes out of bird feeding! But the birds do need our help. What to do? Here are a few tips. Many times our largest feeders are stationed out in the middle of the yard on immovable poles or posts. These feeders can be filled on nicer days, but often these feeders go unfilled because it’s just too difficult to get out there and do it. Rather than let the birds go hungry, why not invest in a couple of poles and ... (read more)

What's new at Duncraft?

To go to duncraft.com--click here At Duncraft, we’re constantly looking for new products for our customers—the latest and greatest!  And we’ve just added a wonderful line of bird feeders in six themes from Woodstream’s Lifestyle Collection—Southwest, Asian, Beach, Heritage, Nautical and Whimsical! Each feeder is fully functional, and easy to clean and fill. They have all-metal parts with beautiful, rust-resistant finishes and durable, plastic tubes and hoppers.  Such a fun way to feed the birds! Below you’ll find one example of each collection.  See them all online–click on “Just ... (read more)

The Wonderful Wingscapes BirdCam!

To go to duncraft.com--click here We recently awarded the Wingscapes BirdCam to our essay contest winner Mark Hudson.  We hope he's enjoying it!  And here is a letter from David Lindquist, telling of his experiences with this fantastic product!  Just look at the action captured by the BirdCam! A whole new way to enjoy your birds! The BirdCam is a weatherproof, motion activated digital camera that takes videos and still pictures—outdoors where the birds are! (read more...) Yesterday I celebrated my first “BirdCam birthday”, having operated the product for one year. In that time, the camera was operating all but 20 ... (read more)