DECEMBER, 2011

We have become strong proponents of buying products MADE IN THE USA. For several years we have been weaning our inventory of cheap imported products, mostly those made in China. In our July newsletter issue we issued our formal MADE IN USA policy and explained how it came about. So, to further this message about buying US products and buying local (as opposed to big box, franchise, and chain operations) we are including a video link to a segment that Diane Sawyer, the ABC news anchor, is currently running for the Holiday sales season. The text explains how buying just 5% of your holiday gifts from US sources creates hundreds of thousands of jobs for Americans.

In preparation of the upcoming holiday season, we have been diligently increasing our inventory of stock. We have a wider variety of products than any time in the past – and with a wider range of prices to appeal to everyone’s budget.

We’re well aware of the hard economic times we’ve all had to endure the past several years. With this in mind, our customers will be pleased to find ample products they can more easily afford. We believe any nature or birding product can make a good holiday gift. A simple birdfeeder or birdhouse is a great way to introduce children to nature and the joy that birds bring. Who knows? Such a gift to a child could begin a lifelong hobby or career. Even a pound of seed put into a box with a ribbon or bow will be appreciated by those who feed birds.

So, we recommend that you browse through our enlarged inventory and enjoy discovering many things that are new to the store. Giftwrapping even the most practical and functional items will be greatly appreciated by the bird lovers you know. Any of our friendly, knowledgeable staff will gladly assist you in finding items to fit your budget.

Photo by Richard of SearchNet Media

Many folks have mentioned to us that they would love to get a holiday gift of a species-specific cardinal feeder for mom, or for themselves. To this end and for the first time, we’ve discounted both of our species-specific cardinal feeders by 15% for the month of December. Making these wonderful redbirds more accessible for year-round viewing is a gift worth considering.

Now that we are into the coolest months of the year, it’s a good idea to keep your eyes open to seeing many of the winter residents, or true snow birds, that grace our area each winter. Most of our natural and man-made wetlands will have many northern waterfowl. The desert flats will yield different birds. As will the mountains and canyon habitats.

Particularly interesting winter birds to watch out for include (but are not limited to):

Many of our “exotic” sparrows also claim S.E. Arizona as their winter home. Some of these wintering birds may find their way to your feeding station. But for many, a short trip to the right habitat will yield the desired results. Besides, it’s a good time of year to take a short hike into our mountains and canyons, into the desert flats, and along washes to see many of these interesting and beautiful birds. The dry riverbeds (Santa Cruz, Pantano, Rillito, and Tanque Verde) and washes (Arroyo Chico and Alamo) that crisscross our urban environment, parks, golf courses and cemeteries are all good locations to watch for wintering “snow birds”.

We wish you all good health and happiness for this holiday season and the new year. With our sincere appreciation for your continued support of our mom and pop business, we look forward to seeing you next time you visit us.

Happy Birding!!!

Jon, Shani and Clarisa

We are excited to announce that we are starting to shoot some simple informative birding videos that appear on YouTube and our website. You can subscribe (for free) to see them when new ones appear by going to The Wild Bird Store YouTube Channel. We hope to offer many topics and hopefully go on location to Tucson area birding hotspots.  Please submit your comments, questions or ideas.

Join us, won't you?

On October 11, 2011 I was invited to do an interview on “the Jolt”, AM 1330. The  show Ron Asta’s Tucson gave us a digital recording of the interview. The show runs about 36:36 minutes long. We didn’t get through all the talking points we wanted to so I’ve been asked to return for a second interview sometime in the near future. We’ll keep you posted. We did have a great conversation about the nectar eating bats that are unique to our area and a little about birding. The next conversation will focus more on the wonderful birds we experience here.

We present the program below.

Want to see a panorama of the Wild Bird Store? Click the image to zoom-in or to pan left or right.

GOLDFINCHES IN SOUTHEAST ARIZONA

Photo by Richard at SearchNet Media

Southeastern Arizona birders have experienced a phenomenal increase in the numbers of goldfinches that can be attracted to our backyard birding stations.

Twenty years ago and more, it took us months to attract our first goldfinches. Patience, we reminded ourselves as we did our customers, is the number one rule for birders.

The preferred food for the intended species and the right feeder to deliver that food is number two. Understanding these principles will always reward us and the birds.

Nyjer seed, unlike true thistle, is the preferred choice of seed for all the goldfinch species. Most other species in our area will reject Nyjer for almost any other seed that is easily available and accessible. Almost any design of thistle feeder filled with Nyjer seed will attract mostly goldfinches. The feeder models that have food ports under the perches are species specific to goldfinches.

BIRDS, WATER AND SUMMER HEAT

Cooper's Hawk by Richard at SearchNetMedia

In our desert heat, we are stating the obvious - birds need clean reliable water sources all year round, but no more than when the temperature soars. As we write this, the projected heat for this afternoon is 113°F, and likely to remain in the triple digits for the rest of the week. As the drought deepens in southern Arizona, natural water sources continue to dry up. Our record setting fire season has taken its toll on the wildlife. Birds pant and hold their wings out from their bodies in an attempt to keep cool. Supplying a water source for the birds is of great assistance to them and the necessity of clean fresh water cannot be underestimated.

Of course, you want to do this in a way that does no harm - no drowning, no disease transmission, no increase in predation, no harm what-so-ever. Here's what you need to know about bird baths and other water features to help the birds, without harming them.

HOW TO INCREASE BACKYARD DIVERSITY

Photo by Richard at SearchNet Media

With more species of birds than almost any other region in the country, Southeastern Arizona's biodiversity offers backyard birders one of the best opportunities to attract a wide variety of birds.

The combined number of year-round resident and migrating birds that one can see in the cycle of a year's time is greater than most other regions throughout the continent. However, if you don't devote some time on a regular basis to observing, you may miss some of the migrants which only pass through our area and remain only for a relatively short time.

Southeastern Arizona is also an excellent place to notice quite a few rare and exotic species that migrate through or use our area in spring and summer as their traditional breeding territory.

With relatively little effort and expense, you can easily double and triple the number of species attracted to your feeding stations.

INTRODUCING A NEW CARDINAL FEEDER

We have become the exclusive authorized dealers in Arizona for a new species-specific cardinal feeder that serves as a less expensive version of the cedar wood model we pioneered about twenty years ago.

This model is constructed of tough polycarbonate material, can be hung or pole mounted, and is manufactured in Montreal, Canada by the Wild Bird Conservation Center. We have received our first shipment and we expect it to sell for around $60. While it was created for a cold, wet northern climate in that it is weather proof (keeps rain and snow out), it works perfectly well in our region as well. (Keeping seeds dry in Arizona isn’t too much of a concern). 

So, for customers who wish for a more economical way to give cardinals, pyrrhuloxia and grosbeaks what they want most (our cardinal mix and a little exclusivity) this is the feeder you’ve been waiting for!

BASIC BINOCULAR KNOWLEDGE

Birders, whether the backyard or in-the-field- variety, need only two essential items as the basic tools for learning about bird identification and behavior - a good field guide and reliable binoculars. The Wild Bird Store carries the best field guide for our area. It is the new Birds of Southeastern Arizona by Richard Taylor and has established itself as our best selling identification guide since its publication late last year. With just these two things, you can teach yourself all you want to know about the birds of our specific region, or anywhere for that matter.

The Wild Bird Store offers a comprehensive selection of Vortex Binoculars

For almost twenty years we have offered our customers the opportunity of reducing costs on each and every purchase they make. The cost of annual dues is $16.00 ($1.25 per month). Discounts begin on the day a membership is activated and expires one full year from the last day of the month the membership begins.