Words On Birds 11-29-24

 

     With Thanksgiving past, the holiday shopping days are before us, starting with Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. Though the “big guys” have already bombarded us with holiday advertisements and sales, we encourage you to “shop small” again this holiday season. Support your local businesses, avoid the crowds at the big box store and malls, and stop staring at your computers. Area small businesses continually source more products locally and help support local crafts people and small manufacturers closer to home. Here are my annual gift suggestions for the bird lovers on your holiday list: 

 

     It may be time to bring nature closer to someone by giving them a new pair of binoculars or perhaps a spotting scope. Optics have improved so much in recent years that you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a crisp, clear and close-up view of beautiful birds in the backyard or the ones in the marshes of Plum Island. A quality pair of binoculars will enhance the experience of watching a cardinal at the feeder. or a red-tailed hawk soaring overhead. 

 

     For those who have good binoculars, a spotting scope will provide a closer view of that snowy owl on a distant knoll or the eagle in the trees across the Merrimack River. The better the optics, the better the view, but good quality binoculars and scopes are within most people’s budgets today. 

 

     A bird feeder is always a great gift. A bird feeder can provide hours of entertainment for young and old alike and it is a great way to introduce most anyone to nature. Feeders come in all shapes and sizes. There are decorative ones that “dress up” the yard, and functional ones that attract a variety of birds. Some can be hung, some come with poles, while others can be mounted right on (or in) the window. A bird feeder and seed make a terrific gift.

 

     Even if someone has a bird feeder, they can always enjoy another one. Perhaps a thistle or suet feeder will expand the number of feathered visitors to their backyard. Specific feeders for bluebirds, orioles, or hummingbirds will attract those additional species. 

 

     If squirrels are a problem, the Squirrel Buster line of feeders has been most successful at keeping squirrels at bay and allowing just birds to feed. A residual benefit is that they may also help lower the blood pressure of those obsessed with squirrels at their feeders!     

 

     For someone on your list that doesn’t want the maintenance of filling a feeder, a bird house is relatively maintenance free. Houses can be put up in winter, as the birds will use them to roost in at night to stay warm and to get out of the elements. The house will then be up and available for spring nesting. 

 

     Houses come in all shapes and sizes, from simple wood or longer lasting polyboard to cleverly painted ones with copper or shingled roofs. There are also winter roost pockets and houses that have the entrance hole near the bottom to retain heat. Multiple birds will huddle together in these during cold winter nights. Wrens, chickadees, titmice, nuthatches and other birds will use roosting pockets and bird houses and may nest in them come spring. Though spring seems so far away, bird houses help bring it a little closer. 

 

     For those who enjoy reading, a few book suggestions: Return to the Sky by local retired research biologist, teacher and author Tina Morris is a chronicle of her experience as a young Cornell Lab of Ornithology student responsible for reintroducing Bald Eagles to New York State in 1975. 

 

     For anyone obsessed with gulls, The Gull Guide by Amar Ayyash is a definitive photographic guide for identification of all regularly occurring gull species and subspecies throughout North America.

 

     From our own backyards to the Artic ice, countless birds have adapted to meet the challenges of the winter season. New is The Courage of Birds: And the Often Surpising Ways They Survive Winter by award winning birder and writer Pete Dunne and illustrated by David Sibley.

 

     Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan is a New York Times Best Seller. It is a witty account of Tan’s foray into birding and the natural wonders of the world, includes her daily entries, thoughtful questions, original sketches, drawings and essays. A great read.

 

     If someone you know has a “favorite” bird, you may find a useful gift with their specific bird on it. There are calendars and ornaments, suncatchers, notecards, kitchen towels and potholders, coasters, trivets, coffee mugs and bird-friendly coffee, socks, t-shirts, and hats, key rings, earrings, pins, zipper pulls – all with favorite birds or nature related. The new “Chirpy Top” wine pourers add a fun addition to your bottle of wine gift!

 

     Bird jig-saw puzzles come in all shapes and sizes, from easy to difficult. Charley Harper and Madd Cap shaped puzzles are particularly popular. Children enjoy bird bingo and memory games, owl pellets and eagle eggs!

 

     A gift membership to a conservation organization would benefit the recipient and the organization alike. On a local level, Essex County Greenbelt Association, Essex County’s Land Trust, conserves farmland, wildlife habitat, and scenic landscapes throughout Essex County, ensuring free access to nature for all – now and forever.

 

     Any gift that helps someone enjoy birds and nature will be especially appreciated this holiday season and, likely, for years to come!