Stop birds from hitting your windows

What causes birds to impact windows?

Birds strikes are usually caused by reflections in the window that make it look like open air, or if two windows across from each other seem to make a tunnel (the birds look for the light and think they can get through). Hawks and other predators can also lead birds to hit windows as they try to escape. 

There are multiple ways to cut down on or eliminate bird window collisions.

1. Window decals placed on the outside of the window.
Window decals are best placed on the outside of windows to avoid glare or reflection on the window from making them disappear and become useless. Anything from post-it notes to UV or shadow static cling decals can work. It just needs to let the birds know that there is an obstruction in the way and they can't fly through it. 
UV decals look similar to frosted glass to us but will fluoresce a bright purple in birds eyes. Just keep in mind that UV decals will eventually wear out with exposure to sunlight and will need to be replaced. If you would like to test the effectiveness of UV decals for your windows, making a few scribbles with a yellow highlighter gives a similar effect, though it lasts a day or so at most. 
Shadow decals are like the UV decals but black or dark gray. They usually aren't quite as effective but unlike UV decals there's nothing for the sun to wear out and they can last longer.
Both UV decals and shadow decals come in a variety of shapes and designs which matter only for your aesthetic purposes. Birds aren't going to look at the hawk decals and think it's actually a hawk. 
Feather Friendly is a more permanent type of decal and consists of tiny squares spaced roughly 2" apart. Feather Friendly is designed to go across the entire window and they come in white or black squares. It works very well for glass deck panels. 

2. Fruit tree netting pulled tight against the window.
It may be distracting for those inside the house at first, but especially for windows with a large surface area that's hard to cover in decals it can work great. Similar to the decals, it's just to let birds know that the window isn't open air.

3. Bird Scare Tape is a shiny roll of tape that should be hung in roughly 3 foot strands in front of the window. The strands will move in the wind and combined with the shimmering effect it tends to make birds wary and want to steer clear. Birds that are fleeing in a panic, especially from a predator, may disregard the scare tape in their alarm.

4. Cover the window from the outside to eliminate reflection completely. It doesn't tend to look very nice but putting up posterboard or another opaque covering on the window tends to take care of the problem quickly. 

5. Close the blinds on windows across from each other to eliminate the tunnel look. If you have two windows directly across from each other, birds can look at the light coming through the far window and think there is somewhere for them to go. 

6. Put feeders close to windows so birds will go to them instead of using the area as a flight path. We've noticed that feeders within a few feet or attached to windows tend to cut down on bird collisions, or at least make them far less fatal. Birds are slowing down to land on the feeder or just taking off and don't have the speed to hit windows as hard.

7. Turn unnecessary lights out at night as migrating birds are more likely to become confused or disoriented by lights left on at night while they are trying to navigate. This can lead to bird impacts, especially against taller buildings in their general flight path.
The Audubon Lights Out program (https://www.audubon.org/lights-out-program) has more information on light pollution and migratory birds.

What ways have proven effective for your backyard birds?

Hummingbird Feeders and Pests

Spring and summer hummingbird feeding can be a great source of entertainment for people. While some places will only see the hummingbirds for a few months a year, those of us lucky enough to live on the West Coast will have the Anna's hummingbirds visiting year round. Our other local hummingbird species, the Rufous, are only here for a few months in spring and summer. Choosing a hummingbird feeder that works well for you, your yard, and your birds is important to make the experience as enjoyable as possible.

Often the biggest issue people have with their hummingbird feeders is ants and wasps. Insects will find the smallest leak in your feeder, often one you are unable to spot yourself, and quickly become regular visitors enjoying the sugar-water. Erasing the food source, or their ability to get to it, can deter these pests and make feeding the hummingbirds feel like less of a nuisance.

Perky Pet Classic 4 Flower

Feeders that you fill upside down and flip upright to use are known as bottle style feeders and are the most prone to insect problems and leaking. While they can be a great way to start hummingbird feeding, the design makes it easy for them to develop a leak. Two main factors influence the bottle style's leaking issues: gravity and pressure build up. If this feeder is left somewhere it can easily swing in the wind, the chances are higher that you will have nectar leaking out the feeding ports as it swings. They are also prone to developing a pressure build up in the bottle as the liquid is drained. The empty space at the bottle, mixed with the heat of the sun, creates pressure that pushes down on the remaining liquid and forces it out the feeding ports as a drip.

Clear Ant Moat

If your problem is strictly ants finding your feeders you can use an ant moat. Ant moats hang above your feeder and can be filled with water, making a barrier ants cannot get past when climbing onto your feeder. Ant moats will need to be emptied regularly, especially if you have a serious ant problem, and in warm weather the water may evaporate. Add a little bit of vegetable oil to slow down the evaporation if necessary. Regularly wiping on and around the feeding ports to clean off any drips of nectar can help with keeping wasps at bay, though it isn't foolproof. You can also try moving the feeder. Feeders hung in trees had a higher volume of ants finding it as they are likely already searching for food in the trees. Hanging your feeder from a standalone pole instead of a branch can make it more difficult for ants to find it. If ants have found your feeder and it isn't hanging in a tree, sometimes moving it a couple of feet to one side can help them lose the trail. 

Changing to a different style of feeder is often the best solution for dealing with leaking and insects issues. A couple of things to think about when choosing a new feeder include how easy it is to take apart and clean, how easy it is to fill, and whether or not it's prone to leaking. 

Best-1 8oz. Feeder

If you enjoy using bottle style feeders but are having issues with your current one, the Best-1 feeders are an excellent choice. It's a bottle style feeder that feeds into a small nectar reservoir in the base, with the feeding ports facing straight up. These feeders, despite being bottle style, rarely develop leaking problems. The bottle can unscrew from the base, which also comes apart in two pieces to make it easy to clean. Any bottle style feeder with feeding ports facing straight up instead of on an angle are less likely to have leaking issues due to pressure buildup. 

Aspects 8oz Hummzinger Feeder

If you want to switch to an entirely new feeder, saucer style is the way to go. The nectar reservoir is in the base, and the feeding ports are directly above. This does not allow for pressure to build up. It is also bottom heavy in comparison to bottle style feeders because of the nectar location and isn't as often found swinging in the wind. The base and top are pressure fit together, making it simple to take apart and clean everywhere. Saucer style feeders like the Aspects Hummzinger don't leak (as long as they aren't tipped when being put up, and aren't overfilled) making them the best choice for avoiding ant and wasp issues. 

Aspects 8oz. Jewel Box Feeder

Another option when switching feeders is to go to a window hummingbird feeder. Window feeders allow you the best view of any visiting hummingbirds and rarely do we get reports of ants on window glass, making it less likely they will find it. Wasps, however, may still be an issue depending on the style of window feeder. 

Enjoy your hummingbirds!

Keeping Seed Dry in Wet Spring

Early spring brings with it spring rain, which can be fun to watch but is less enjoyable when we are faced with wet, unusable bird seed in our feeders. Not only can this be harmful for your birds, but it can make it more difficult to keep your feeders clean. 

In order to keep your bird seed dry and prevent it from molding or harming your birds, there are a few steps you can take.

Using feeders with domes or large overhangs can help keep rain from getting in your seeds at all. While not foolproof, it can reduce the amount of rain that manages to enter your feeder. If your feeder doesn't have enough of an overhang, you can use something, such as a wooden shingle, and screw or nail it to the existing roof to extend it out farther. Just keep in mind that this will also make it more difficult for larger birds to get into your feeders.

The Backyard's "Nanaimo" Fly-Through Feeder

Using feeders that have mesh trays or, if plastic, plenty of well-placed drainage holes can help air circulate and keep water from pooling in the feeder. Mesh trays are preferrable when possible as they allow considerably more water to flow out while letting air circulate through the feeder easily.

Putting out less seed at a time, roughly around enough for your birds to finish in one day, can help reduce the amount of seed that sits outside wet. Seed can get wet without much issue, the problems arise when it sits for a while and is still wet and begins to mold. Filling feeders more frequently with smaller amounts during wet seasons can make sure seed doesn't sit around long enough to cause problems.

Using seeds with shells, such as black oil sunflower instead of hulled sunflower. While seed with shells can be messier and leave shell debris in your yard, the shell is added protection against moisture. 

Black Oil Sunflower Seed

Adding Feeder Fresh to your bird feeders can help keep moisture out of your seeds. Feeder Fresh is a product made with bird safe silica that absorbs moisture and keeps it out of your bird seed. Filling tube feeders and adding layers of Feeder Fresh every two inches or so, or mixing the silica in with your bird seed, is effective. Birds tend to avoid eating the silica as it doesn't have the nutrition they are looking for, but if they do ingest any it's not harmful to their systems. Add new Feeder Fresh every time you change your feeders or refill them, and off you go.

Feeder Fresh

Cleaning feeders regularly can also help cut down on issues. Check out our last blog post to see tips for what to use to clean feeders and how often to clean them. Always make sure to keep an eye on your feeders regardless of whether or not you are using any of our tips to ensure that there won't be any problems without you noticing. Using one or many of these suggestions can help keep issues down and your birds happy, healthy, and hanging around. 

Bird Feeders and Wet Weather

There are two main reasons why people feed the birds; for the enjoyment of watching them, and to help the birds through tough times. Our intentions are good and the last thing any of us wish to do is harm our feathered friends. Cleaning our bird feeders is as much a part of bird feeding as filling the feeders with seed. Making sure to keep feeders clean and full of fresh seed makes watching the birds more enjoyable and healthier for your backyard birds.

As we head into spring, we still have to make sure to keep an eye on our bird feeders and keep the area around them clean of old seeds. By keeping feeders and feeding areas clean, we can help stop the transmission of diseases and keep mold from forming in our bird seeds. Diseases are passed between birds through their droppings, which can be a concern when birds congregate around feeders. Birds that flock together in large colonies, such as Pine Siskins, are at a higher risk than others. Pine Siskins especially are prone to interbreeding in their colonies and have a weaker immune system than other finches, making them highly susceptible to disease. 

Mold will build in bird seed that is left either on the ground or in feeders for too long, and even if the birds are able to avoid eating it directly they can still inhale the spores and become ill. The easiest way to help prevent illness and keep mold from growing is to clean your feeders and feeding area at least once a month, and dispose of old seed. Keep an eye on your feeders and if you notice any issues clean them more frequently. We've found the sweet spot for keeping them problem free is roughly once a week if you are able, especially when the weather gets nasty. 

When cleaning feeders, use a bleach-water mix of 1 part bleach to 9 parts water. This can be kept in a spray bottle for ease of use. Not comfortable using bleach? Industrial white vinegar, or cleaning vinegar, is also a great disinfectant and can be found in hardware stores and can be mixed with water in a 15-50% ratio. Using cooking vinegar will not clean or disinfect your feeders! The bleach-water or vinegar-water solution can be used with wooden or plastic feeders, hummingbird feeders, and bird baths to keep everything clean and disinfected.

Remove all old seed and throw it in the garbage. Do not put any back in the clean feeder even if you think it looks alright. Use a small brush or whiskbroom to clean out whatever may be stuck in the feeder, then spray liberally with your cleaning solution. Scrub it again with a stiff brush, then rinse with fresh water and let it dry. Make sure it is fully dry before refilling with seed. An easy trick is to clean your feeders in the evening and let them air dry overnight.

Remember to also clean around your feeding area and get rid of any seeds that have dropped or that you may have put out. Rake up seeds that may have fallen into dirt or grass, or if you are feeding over stone or a patio you can rinse the area with your cleaning mixture followed by fresh water.

An important thing to note when choosing a bird feeder is to make sure you can get everywhere when cleaning. Mold likes to grow in corners that may be hard to reach or difficult to notice. Wooden feeders that can be completely disassembled, or plastic feeders that come apart easily are always good choices. Fresh bird seed is like a wick that soaks up water, especially in feeders with a wooden base. When choosing a feeder, look for ones that allow water to drain out quickly. Wooden feeders with screen bases instead of solid wood are an excellent choice to allow air circulation and water to run out instead of pooling. Plastic feeders with a roof and drainage holes are also a good option.

Feeders with a large roof can help keep seed drier, and a roof that is too short can be extended by attaching a wood shingle or similar to the existing roof. The larger overhang can keep seed drier and keep larger birds out of your feeder. 

Enjoy your birds and happy birding.

Rufous Hummingbirds

 It's March and that means Rufous Hummingbirds are on their way! 

While the Anna's are a non-migratory, year-round resident of Vancouver Island, the Rufous Hummingbird is commonly seen on Vancouver Island only during the spring and summer. They arrive in March from Central Mexico to do their nesting. Once they've nested, the males begin to leave in July with the females and juveniles following shortly after.

Male Rufous - R. Hocken

The Rufous are slightly smaller than the Anna's and the male can be identified by their rufous (rusty orange) body and white chest patch. They have a brilliant red gorget, or throat patch, that they flash to attract a mate or show aggression. Female Rufous are green with a white or silver-gray underside, smaller red gorget, and the same rufous colouring in their under wings and tail base. 

Female Rufous - R. Hocken

Like the Anna's, Rufous are open nesters. They build their nests out of soft plant down held together with spiderweb. The outside then gets camouflaged with moss, lichen, and bark. Hummingbird nests are about two inches in diameter, with the inside cup being an inch wide. The nest can be reused the next year, though not always by the same birds.

Check out this link for more information on the Rufous migration.

Mason Bees - Common Questions

What are they?

Mason bees are a native pollinator of early flowering plants. They come out in early spring, when the temperature is around 12-14°C. Mason bees are a non-aggressive, solitary bee that does not build hives or have a queen. Mason bees are 75% more effective per bud at pollinating than honey bees and stay in a smaller area, making them ideal backyard pollinators. 

What do they pollinate?

Mason bees mostly pollinate fruit trees or other early spring flowering plants. Apples, plums, and other early flowering fruits and plants benefit from mason bees. They do not usually hang around into summer, and aren't as useful for vegetable gardens.

When do I put them out?

Mason bees will stay in a dormant state until the temperatures are around 12-14°C and they can survive outdoors in that state until around -18°C. While you can bring them inside and store them in a shed or a fridge, it's not necessary. If you do store them in a fridge, make sure you keep them on the door of the fridge and put a wet cloth, paper towel, or small glass of water beside whatever you are storing the bees in to make sure they don't dry out. While the cocoons are waterproof, the bees inside still need to breath. Keeping them on the door of your fridge ensures they get the airflow they need to survive until they come out of the dormant state in spring. If you keep them in your fridge, don't keep them past the end of April at the absolute latest. The bees inside have a set amount of energy and if they stay dormant for too long they can use up their energy stores and die off without hatching.

When do I clean the cocoons?

Mason bees will lay their eggs for 4 to 6 weeks after coming out of their cocoons. The eggs then hatch within 4 days, eat the pollen-nectar food source the parent bee left for them, and spin themselves a cocoon. The bee in the cocoon grows into an adult bee by early September. Once the bee inside is an adult, you can clean the cocoons. We recommend cleaning the cocoons and boxes mid-late fall, October or later, to ensure the bee is fully grown in it's cocoon. 

How do I clean the cocoons and why should I?

Mason bee cocoons are waterproof but delicate. Fill a small container with a 5% bleach to 95% water mixture and drop the cocoons in. Gently roll them around in the water for a few minutes and pull them out to dry. This will kill off any parasites or pests that may affect your bees. 

The single-use tubes can be hard to get unrolled. Soaking them in cool water for a while before trying can make them easier to get into.

How do I get started?

If you have fruit trees in your yard, chances are you already have mason bees. You can start by simply making sure they have a place to lay their eggs. Mason bees like to lay their eggs in holes around 5/16" in diameter and between 3-6" long. While you can simply grab a block of wood and drill out the proper hole size, we recommend making sure you are able to clean it out at the end of the season. Cleaning the bee house keeps pests such as pollen mites from making a home and killing off all your bees. You can do this by purchasing premade reusable blocks, or drilling out slightly larger holes and filling with parchment paper or cardboard tubes. Tubes can be bought pre-rolled or rolled yourself. 

If you aren't sure you have mason bees, you can buy bee cocoons at your local gardening store. We carry boxes of 10 (5 male and 5 female bees) to get you started. 

Where do I put the house and what type of house should I use?

Put the house at least 4 feet off the ground in a location that gets plenty of sunlight. Ideally under cover to keep any nasty weather off. Mason bees usually stay within 200-300 feet of the location they hatch from, so keep it within that distance of what you are wanting them to pollinate. Do not bury the house in the trees they should be pollinating but a good 6-10 feet away at least. 

Mason bees aren't picky with their houses. As long as the hole is the right size and the location is good they'll use just about anything. They do prefer holes not made in cedar blocks, but will use them if that's what's available. We do recommend that you have a door or something over the front of your house to make it more difficult for predators like woodpeckers to get in.

Single-use tubes vs reusable blocks.

Both the single use tubes and the reusable blocks are good options. 

The tubes are generally made out of cardboard or parchment paper, and are designed to be discarded after use. Houses that use the tubes can be great as once a tube is filled, it can be removed and replaced without disturbing the rest of the house. Full tubes should be removed from the house and stored somewhere cool over winter. You can choose to unroll the tubes and clean the cocoons inside, or fill the house with new tubes and place the old ones as close as possible for the bees to hatch out of.

Reusable blocks are, as the name implies, reusable. The blocks are designed to come apart to allow access to the holes for cleaning. The blocks we carry are made with corn plastic, meaning they will eventually biodegrade. The blocks must be cleaned out every year to ensure no pests move in and take over. The blocks are easier to get into and clean out compared to the tubes, and can be cheaper overall as they don't need to be purchased as often. When putting the blocks back together we recommend wrapping a strip of electrical tape or tight elastic around the block to ensure it stays tight together. Avoiding gaps helps keep pollen mites or other pests from slipping inside. 

Any other questions you want answered about Mason bees? Give us a call at 250-390-3669, email us at thebackyard@shaw.ca. or stop by our store during our normal operating hours.

The Purple Finch

 Purple Finches are not regular visitors to backyard feeders, being more commonly spotted in wooded areas near city limits. They prefer to stay in their natural habitat, though Purple Finches will venture to backyard feeders if the natural seed is low. 

Despite the name, the male Purple Finch is more of a raspberry-red colour on the face, head, and down their back. The wings appear more of a reddish brown, and this finch is about six inches in size, putting them at slightly larger than a House Finch. About the same size as a sparrow, they have the conical finch bill. Female Purple Finches are a heavily streaked brown bird with none of the colour of the males. 

Purple Finch

The House Finch is a similar species to the Purple Finch and they have been mistaken for each other at a glance, though the House Finch is a bit smaller and the red is concentrated on the throat, chest, and forehead. To help distinguish between the House and Purple Finches, look at the shape of the head. The House Finch has a rounded head on top while the Purple Finch is flat. The best way to tell which you have is to look at the females. The female Purple Finch has two white streaks on her head, one behind the eye with the other on her cheek, while the House Finch has no facial markings.

House Finch

To attract finches to your yard, it's best to use black oil or hulled sunflower seeds. Black oil sunflower is better if your feeders are prone to moisture or aren't well-sheltered from the wet weather, as the shell lends some protection to the seeds. Hulled sunflower is great for drier weather or well-protected feeders, though it can absorb some moisture out of the air as it is a raw seed, and will attract finches and various other birds. Hulled sunflower is also better for keeping the area clean as it will not leave shell mess behind and all birds eat it, leaving little to no waste. Nyjer seed is also enjoyed by finches but the large conical bill of the Purple Finch makes them unable to get in to the tiny holes present on nyjer feeders. Purple Finches will also feed on fruits and berries such as those found on Hawthorns at Buttertubs Marsh. You may notice these birds in your bushes or shrubs before they go near your feeders.

When these birds nest they are not commonly found nesting in backyards. They nest in woodland areas and don't use nest boxes. Purple Finch build open nests with grasses and moss, then line it with fine grass or hair. The nests are usually build in conifer trees between 6 and 30 feet off the ground. The Purple Finch will usually have two broods of three to four young. 

While they are uncommon visitors, they are not unheard of. A visit from the Purple Finch, along with other finches, will add colour to your backyard and your day.

Happy birding!