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Attracting Purple Martins

(go to duncraft.com) 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 ... (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)

Irruptive Winter Finches!

   (go back to duncraft.com)   You may think that now our summer birds have migrated south, you won’t be seeing any new birds this winter. Think again! You might be treated to a visit by Red or White-winged Crossbills, Pine Siskins, Pine and Evening Grosbeaks, Purple Finches, or Redpolls.   That’s because these birds are considered an “irruptive” species—a large number of birds that suddenly leave their normal wintering grounds for areas where they’re not normally seen. And other birds are known to do this too, such as Red-breasted Nuthatches, Clark’s Nutcrackers, Bohemian ... (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)

Helping Winter Birds Find Night-time Shelter

To go to duncraft.com--click here All winter long, a bird’s most difficult task is to continually forage enough food during the day to provide the calories they need to keep warm at night when they aren’t eating. Cold winter wind saps energy and warmth from birds, and this is especially so at night when their reserves aren’t being replenished. And if a bird’s energy reserves are compromised during the night, it makes the next day’s survival that much more difficult.   Most of us provide birds with food and water during the day, but we can go one step further. We can help birds make it through long, winter ... (read more)

Barred Owls!

To go to duncraft.com--click here The first time I heard Barred Owls was on a camp-out. Two of them were trading calls in the middle of the night from each side of a wide field. The sound was positively eerie! And two times in the last week, I’ve heard a Barred Owl calling at about 4:30 a.m in my back yard. Now that I know what I’m hearing, it’s more fascinating than frightening! The Barred Owl’s most typical call, and the only one I’ve heard, has been described as a hooting,  “who-cooks…who-cooks-for-you-all” with a drawn-out, decending “all” at the end. But many other vocalizations ... (read more)

Use Poles and Hangers to Create Beautiful Windowscapes and See Birds Better

To go to duncraft.com--click here Too often, bird feeders are hung on the handiest tree in the yard. That’s great if the tree is close to the house and near a window that you look out often.  But if your view is mostly out to the front yard and the feeder is in the backyard, you’re not going to catch a lot of bird activity.  Poles and hangers can bring birds up close to decks and porches and near the windows where you spend the most time indoors. Think about creating attractive windowscapes that you can enjoy from the rooms you use most. Here’s how to do it!   Position your bird feeders for easy viewing from your ... (read more)

Dawn Cusson and her Anna's Hummingbirds in winter!

 To go to duncraft.com--click here We recently got this story and great images from one of our customers, Dawn Winker Cusson.  Dawn lives in the Portland, Oregon area where Anna's Humminbirds stay all winter.  Enjoy her story and these great shots! We had such a nasty blast of winter last year, I fed three hummingbirds all winter at my kitchen window. We put a heat lamp inside our kitchen window and attached a feeder on the opposite side, outside. The feeder would freeze completely in a couple hours without the heat lamp.   So every night I'd bring in the feeder, fill/clean it if necessary and in the morning, at 7am I'd take the ... (read more)

Decorate a Holiday Bird Tree!

 To go to duncraft.com--click here       This year, why not decorate a special Holiday Tree for the birds with bird-edible ornaments and tasty treats? It can be a tree bare of leaves or a beautiful evergreen. Either way, bird trees look festive and charming in your yard and attract a lot of bird-attention!    Although Duncraft creates new holiday shapes each year that are perfect for decorating and gift giving, its also fun to make your own treats for the birds. Try stringing popcorn and cranberries on thread and drape it around the tree. And of course, there’s the old favorite—pine ... (read more)

Our Great North-American Wild Turkey

To go to duncraft.com--click here Not to be compared with the not-so-bright, domesticated Thanksgiving turkey, our wild Turkeys are intelligent, wary birds with intricate courtship rituals and close family structures. The Turkey is our largest game bird and can be found in most areas of the U.S. This native, North American bird reached endangered numbers of about 30,000 birds in the early 1900’s due to hunting and loss of habitat. But with conservation efforts the population is now estimated to be about 7 million and turkey hunting is allowed in many states. Did you know that the turkey is one of only two native, North American birds to be ... (read more)

Enter Our "Winged Wonders of Winter" Photo Contest!

To go to duncraft.com--click here     Enter to Win!   Announcing our Winged Wonders of Winter Photo Contest! Winter is a lovely time to photograph the birds and now is your chance to capture the beauty of the season Send us your best shot! Winner receives our Winter Survival Kit--a $240.00 value! includes all three of these great products:   Shown above are the Heated Scalloped Bath and Pedestal, 10 lbs. of Chickadee Blend Bird Seed and the best-selling Absolute II Bird Feeder!  Guidelines: Send us photos that depict the essence of winter--a snowy, wintry background with a lovely ... (read more)

Tips to Help Birds Survive in Winter

To go to duncraft.com--click here Winter is on the way, and what better time than now to start thinking about all the ways you can help birds survive the long cold days and nights? While most birds can survive winter without our help, studies have shown that they will survive at a higher rate when they have access to plenty of food, shelter and water. Here are some tips to get you ready for the winter season.   Food is the first thing that comes to mind when we think of ways to help the birds in winter. Birds need lots of calories to stay warm, and we can help by providing high fat foods such as black oil sunflower seeds, ... (read more)

What We Learned from a Customer's Question--The Cowbird

To go to duncraft.com--click here Last week I received an interesting email from one of our customers, accompanied by a photograph.  The photo showed a Dark-eyed Junco feeding what appeared to be a rather large baby while perched in a shrub. Our customer, Katy, asked:  "I am not sure if you answer wild bird questions". (YES we DO, Katy--all the time!).  "We have a window bird feeder and this morning I observed a junco feeding what I believe is a baby house finch.  Both kinds of birds are common in our area--San Mateo, California, just South of San Francisco.  I was able to get pictures."  Katy R. ... (read more)

Duncraft's Food Club! Join and enter our drawing to win a free order!

 To go to duncraft.com--click here   Try Duncraft's Food Club! Discounts on Every Food Order! Wow! This year Duncraft’s Food Club celebrates 15 years of service, providing our Food Club members with discounts on the highest quality bird seeds and wildlife foods—on a delivery schedule that’s specifically tailored to meet the needs of each and every member.   How does it work? Customers arrange 3 (or more!) scheduled deliveries of any food products they want over the course of a year—whatever works best for them. In return for pre-arranged shipping, our customers enjoy 10% savings on each scheduled order and ... (read more)

Attracting chickadees

To go to duncraft.com--click here The next time you hear a familiar "chick a dee dee dee", listen closely, because a chickadee's call can tell you a lot. Biologists have discovered that the more "dees" there were in a Black-capped Chickadee's warning call, the more dangerous was a would-be predator. Chickadees also have a quiet "seet" call, which is believed to warn others of flying raptors. And families of birds will call back and forth, informing each other of their location.  In fact, biologists have actually recognized more than 30 variations in chickadee songs and calls. In addition to their variety of calls, ... (read more)

The Beautiful Great Egret

To go to duncraft.com--click here 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 ... (read more)

Deter Squirrels with Hot Pepper!

To go to duncraft.com--click here   If there’s one thing that will heat up a meal, it’s hot peppers! Whether raw, cooked, chopped, seeds in or out, the variety of hot peppers and the heat and spice they add to foods and drinks is extensive. Some peppers are so hot they can literally burn your skin while others impart just a little warmth. And some people just can't get enough of them!  But there is one little critter that just doesn’t understand our affinity for spicy-hot peppers—the squirrel!   Hot pepper can be a very persuasive product when it comes to keeping squirrels away from bird seed. While birds ... (read more)

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