Bird Feeder Basics (Plus Summer Feeder Sale)

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Hillary T.

Thinking about buying a bird feeder but not sure where to start? We can help! Depending on the kind of bird-watching experience you’re looking for and what kinds of birds you want to attract, there’s a feeder for you.

Read on for just a preview of what’s available at the Audubon Shop in Lincoln. And don’t forget: Mass Audubon members can save 20 percent off all feeders, poles, baffles, and feeder accessories during the Shop’s Summer Feeder Sale August 4-19. Not a member? Join today in order to get the sale discount plus all of the other awesome benefits that go along with a Mass Audubon membership.

For the Beginner
The Classic Pole Feeder has everything you need to get started in one box: a feeder that holds five pounds of seed, a three-section pole for mounting the feeder, and a built-in baffle to prevent squirrels from climbing up the pole.

For the Squirrel Averse
Have more squirrels than birds at your feeder? The Squirrel Buster Classic Feeder has a patented design to keep the critters at bay. When a squirrel grabs a hold of the feeder, the outer cage (or “shroud”) lowers to block the feeding ports. What it doesn’t block: a variety of songbirds including, cardinals, nuthatches, chickadees, goldfinches and more.

For the Up-Close Observer
Bring birds right to your window with the Observer Window Feeder. Super easy to use, it attaches to a window with three suction cups. The open “trough” design can hold any type of seed (up to ½ pound) and has a sloped overhang to protect seed from rain or snow. Great for sunflower seed or even mealworms for attracting bluebirds.

For the Hummingbird Lover
The Perky Pet Hummingbird Feeder’s big red and yellow flowers attract the hummingbirds, while its built-in guards on the four feeding ports keeps the bees away.

For the Multitasker
With a large hopper for seed and two suet cages, the Woodlink AT4 Cedar Feeder with Suet Holders (shown) was designed with songbirds and woodpeckers in mind.

Once you decide on a feeder, be sure to check out our Top Five Best Bets for Attracting Birds.

Five Common Summer Butterflies

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Kristin S.

Summer is a magical time for watching butterflies. A quick hike in the woods, a few quiet moments in a garden, or even a walk down a city block almost always turns up a few butterflies, more if you’re looking for them. Amidst this bounty of butterflies, here are five species likely to be flying whenever you venture outside:

With its bright orange color, black markings above, and silver spots below, the Great Spangled Fritillary is easy to recognize and, unlike most butterflies, will sit still on a flower head. Fritillaries are the reason I let wild violets grow in my lawn and garden—in the spring, young caterpillars who have overwintered in the leaf litter, crawl to a nearby violet patch and begin munching.

 

This must be the year of the American Lady butterfly; they’re everywhere! This lovely, medium-sized butterfly lays its eggs on Pearly Everlasting and pussytoes. When resting with its wings upright, it displays a splash of pink on its forewing and two large blue-centered eyespots on its hindwing (in contrast to the Painted Lady, which has four smaller spots on its hindwing).

 

Skipper butterflies are like the LBJs (little brown jobs) of the bird world and can be maddeningly difficult to identify. That being said, of all the Skippers, one is easier to ID than the others: the large Silver-spotted Skipper. A wonderful introduction to the world of skippers, the silver spot on its hindwing flashes like a beacon as it nectars in gardens, meadows, and roadsides.

 

If you’re in a sun-dappled woodland and a large, black butterfly with iridescent blue clouding on the top of its hindwings flies by, it’s probably a Spicebush Swallowtail. Its distinctive caterpillars, with large fake “eyespots,” feed on spicebush and sassafrass. One of my happiest springtime memories is gently uncurling young sassafrass leaves to greet the new caterpillars.

 

The Cabbage White may be an odd choice for this list. It’s a non-native butterfly, which feeds on invasive garlic mustard plant and the crucifers of our vegetable garden. But given a little time, the Cabbage White, which is often mistaken for a moth, can work its way into a butterfly lover’s heart. I can always count on it to make an appearance, even when no other butterflies are flying.

 

Want to learn more about butterflies and how to attract them?

Photos via Frank Model