Clean Those Feeders and Baths!

Many of us feed birds during the summer. Almost all of us have a bird bath. Although we all know it is important to keep our feeders and bird baths clean, sometimes we're not as diligent as we should be. But these cleaning tasks are vital to the health of the birds we enjoy.

In the summer, the stress on the birds, especially in our drought-ridden area, means they have lowered immune systems. One disease that often takes hold is trichomoniasis (trich)--most commonly in pigeons and doves, which are very susceptible to this disease. The raptors that feed on these birds also tend to get trich. This is not the same trichomoniasis as found in people.

Trichomoniasis is very contagious and highly fatal in birds. It progresses very rapidly. If you find a dove on the ground that is extremely emaciated, even though it has been eating, it is very possible trich is the culprit. Often you can see a yellowish, curd-like growth inside their mouths. If you see this, you know you have trich. A large number of extremely emaciated doves with no visible signs of injury are coming in to Wild Bird Rescue, suspicious for trich.

If you find a dead dove or pigeon in your yard that may have contracted trich, take down your feeders immediately and empty your bird bath. Leave everything down for 10 days. What you are doing here is dispersing the birds from your yard at least and allowing time for the infected birds to die. Before you refill your bird bath and feeders, clean them thoroughly and disinfect with a 1:10 bleach solution. I am not a big chlorine bleach fan, but it works well as a disinfectant.

Watching these birds waste away is heartbreaking. Clean your feeders regularly and watch for signs of trich in your backyard birds. You didn't cause the disease, but you can help prevent it from spreading.

Good birding!

Keep the Water Coming!

The drought continues to beat down the people and the wildlife in our area. I am filling my backyard bird bath at least 3 times a day--sometimes more. Since plants aren't doing well either, my feeder is also getting a workout. The seeds don't help the parents trying to feed babies as most (other than doves) need protein food sources, but it helps the adults stay alive.

If you don't have a water source for wildlife in your yard, please consider adding some sort of water feature to your yard. If you can't spend the money on a pond or birdbath, a shallow pan will work fine. If you have some sort of water feature in your yard, please keep it full. You'll be doing wildlife a favor and bringing the birds in so you can have the pleasure of watching them.

Good birding!

The Bird Bath a Happening Place This Morning

Well, my birdbath (left) has been a happening place this morning. In less than an hour since sun up I have had a cardinal, several juncos and a robin. When I went out to take this picture, I startled a little ruby-crowned kinglet when I walked up on the bath. I didn't even see him until I was focusing the camera. You can see the sides of the bath where the water has been thrown. I'll have to go out later and refill.

Bird baths and other water features can be a huge draw for birds. In our area, they often draw as many birds as the feeders do. And some birds who don't eat at feeders will come to the water, so it is another good way to add variety to your birdwatching experience.

However, most bird baths are too deep. My husband and kids got me the birdbath in the picture as a gift, but I added the sloping piece of rock to allow better access to smaller birds. You can also add rocks to the bottom of the bird bath to create shallow pools for smaller birds to bathe. I find the larger birds like robins enjoy the deeper areas and the smaller birds use the edges and the rock for their ablutions.

If you don't have a bird bath of any kind, think about getting one!

Good birding!

Water

Although the official thermometer in Wichita Falls (which must be in the shade) has not yet hit 100 degrees, it is HOT. Last I saw today, the official temperature was sitting at 99. We haven't had much rain, even with the clouds and showers that have popped up around the area all week. The birds need water.

If you have a birdbath, be sure to keep it full. Most bird baths are too deep for our song birds, so be sure to put some rocks in the bottom to make pools or very shallow places for the birds to stand or sit. I have a flat piece of rock propped on the edge that slants down to the center of the bird bath, and the birds often stand on it when drinking.

At this time of year, water is a no-fail way to get birds to your yard.

Good birding!

Winter Storm

We had a big storm in the wee hours of the morning. It was not a snow and ice storm (although they do happen often enough over the winter). After several days of freezing temperatures, we had a very warm day yesterday, which warmed things up enough for a winter thunderstorm. We had a humdinger of an electrical storm early this morning. I got up and went around the house powering down and unplugging computers before going back to my snug bed.

We obviously got more bluster than rain. We needed the rain; it has been very dry here. Although we didn't get near the amount of rain one would think from all of the noise, we did get some. Enough to fill up the bird bath anyway. That's good news for the birds, and they are taking advantage of it. All morning there has been a steady stream of little birds bathing. No sooner does one set of little birds get out, then the next set jump in. The way they all throw water around in their exuberance, I doubt the water will last more than a few hours.

Good birding!