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Home F.A.Q. Helpful Hints

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Pump Selection

Why Moving Water?

Mysterious Water Loss

Protecting Wild Birds from Cats

Tips on Controlling Algae

Water in Winter

Water Conservation

Drippers for Wild Birds

Attracting Hummingbirds

Creating a Bird Garden

Planting for Birds and Butterflies

Nesting and Baby Bird Tips

West Nile Virus and Mosquito Control

"What size pump do I need?" is a question we are frequently asked. Following is a guide to selecting the pump that is right for your situation:

1. Type of pump - For energy efficiency, we recommend magnetic drive pumps in virtually all installations. In this design, the rotor operates in the water being pumped, and can easily be serviced or replaced by the owner. As an example of how little electricity magnetic drive pumps use, a 100 GPH pump will use about 10 watts, and a 600 GPH about 25 watts. Direct drive pumps should only be considered for pumping large amounts of water to high heights, for instance more than 2,000 GPH to over 10 ft. high.

2. Physical size of the pump - Many replacement pumps are for ornamental fountains, and hence the new pump must fit where the old pump was and connect to the existing fountain's tubing or fitting. In this case, measure the space available for the pump and measure the size of the connection. Also determine if the old pump was a submersible or in-line pump. Most are submersible, that is they are installed under the water level. Tubing or connection size differences can be usually be adapted for, but they must be known. 3/8" and 1/2" tubing and connections are common for modest sized fountains.

3. Pump Capacity or Flow Rate - This is measured in GPH (gallons per hour). In a replacement situation, select the pump that is approximately the same size as what you are replacing unless you were not happy with its performance. If in doubt, err to the high side as flow rate can be reduced but not increased. For new installations, first establish how high and how far you will be pumping the water.

4. Pumping Height - Determine how high you will be pumping the water above the pond surface. You will need to use this number to determine the pump's ACTUAL capacity for your installation. Most pumps come with a GPH versus height table. For the pumps we currently offer, we can provide this table. Example: A 600 GPH magnetic drive pump pumping to a height of 4 ft. will actually deliver 320 GPH at 4 ft.

5. Tubing Size - Always use at least the minimum size tubing recommended for the pump. If in doubt, larger tubing will provide an actual flow rate closer to the published flow rate from the pump table. For long installations, say more than 12 ft., larger tubing may eliminate the need to go to a larger pump, and hence save you investment dollars and operating costs. Example: when using a 600 GPH pump for a 25 ft long creek, increase from recommended 3/4" tubing to 1" tubing.

Next use the following two criteria to select a pump which meets or exceeds BOTH criteria. For pump choices, see Price List.

6. Waterfalls - plan on a minimum delivered flow rate of 50 GPH per inch of waterfall width. Example: 200 GPH for a 4 inch wide waterfall. Again, err on the high side, for more gives a more vigorous waterfall.

7. Ponds - plan to turn over the water in the pond at least every 4 hours.

Example: For a thousand gallon pond, the minimum pump size would be 250 GPH. Calculate pond size by multiplying average length x width x depth in feet and multiplying by 7.5 gallons per cubic foot. There is no problem greatly exceeding this guideline. For instance, our Bird-Creeks™ typically turn the water over every 10 to 15 minutes.

If you have done the above, and are still uncertain as to which pump is right for you, email us and ask for our pump specialist to help you select the pump that will meet your needs

Attract Birds which do not come to feeders: Moving water will attract both birds which come to feeders AND birds which do not come to feeders, so you will have many new birds visiting your yard.

Attract more Birds: You can attract many more birds to your backyard with MOVING water, probably as many as 3 to 4 times as many. Moving water gets the birds' attention, and in nature, moving water is more natural and healthier than stagnant water.

Enjoy Birds in Action: Bird bathing is a very dynamic activity compared to crunching seed on a feeder. Here is what you can expect to see by offering moving water:

Hummingbirds love flying through fine mist.

Small birds including hummingbirds love to "leaf bathe" by rubbing up against foliage wet by a mister. This will often precede a visit to the bird bath or Bird-Creek™.

Water provides easy viewing of hard to see species, such as tree-top dwelling warblers, tanagers and vireos. No more cricks in the back of your neck looking straight up for that elusive Blackpoll warbler.

Vireos love to plunge bathe. This is when they fly down into the water surface like a high diver and then quickly fly away, never setting foot on the bottom.

Bird bathing is a contagious activity. Often one bird will bathe, then two, then four, then eight, etc. This is particularly true for Goldfinches, Cedar Waxwings and Robins.

Robins are territorial bathers and will often cue up to bathe, with as many as 20 in the cue.

Water is used by birds to cool off. Sometimes they will sit serenely half immersed in water for ten minutes or more on a hot summer day.

Bird bathing is an essential part of maintaining healthy plumage, and often after a bath you can observe a bird preening to properly realign all its feathers.

Where is all the water going?

The 4 most frequent causes of mysterious water loss from a Bird-Creek or pond are:

1. The liner has a hole in it (this is actually the least frequent of the causes)

2. Tree roots have invaded your system and are "drinking" large amounts of water

3. Water is being lost at the waterfall

4. For a creek or cascade system, water is overflowing one of the edges of the creek liner or cascade

Following are steps to pin down where the water is being lost, and then once located, it is usually straightforward to correct the problem:

Step 1 - Turn off the pump and see if the water level still drops. If it does NOT drop, go to Step 3. If it does drop, you either have a hole in the liner, or tree roots are drinking up the water. First check for tree roots by removing edging rocks and inspecting. If NO roots are found, go to Step 2. If roots are found going into the water, trim them off to several inches beyond the outside edge of the pond. Then refill the system, still leave the pump off, and observe. If the water level again drops, go to Step 2.

Step 2 - At this point, you probably have a hole in the liner. Let the water stabilize at its lowest point, and then then carefully inspect the liner all the way around the pond AT the water line. If you find a hole and it is not too large, try to patch it. Use a piece of liner about 6 inches larger than the hole all the way around the hole, and glue in place with contact cement. The liner must be dry and clean when you do this, so pump another 6 inches or so of water out of the pond to gain access for cleaning and patching. Follow the instructions on the contact cement. This is like patching an inner tube. If the hole is not patchable, you will need a new liner. It can be installed on top of the old liner. Just be sure that if a rock or other sharp object has punctured the liner, that the sharp object is removed before you install the new liner.

Step 3 - If you only loose water when the pump is in operation, then you either have a leak at the waterfall, or the water is overflowing an elevated creek liner or cascade piece. Careful inspection while the pump is operating will usually reveal where the leak is occurring - remove the edging rocks and look for damp or wet soil. Settling after a heavy rain is a common cause of water escaping a creek system. Leaves can also partially obstruct a cascade overflow lip, causing water to back up and escape over the side of the cascade. If you trace the leak to the waterfall, we strongly recommend you place all of the waterfall rocks within the perimeter of the liner as the most fool proof way to stop waterfall water loss.

Other documented causes of mysterious water loss are:

Large furry dogs taking a bath

Strong winds stripping water off a waterfall

Large flocks of birds, such as grackles, bathing

Underestimating evaporation on hot dry days

by Bill Fintel, Avian Aquatics

Free roaming cats can definitely be a threat to birds visiting your yard. When dealing with this threat, keep in mind that birds are not stupid. They know what a cat looks like, and they avoid it if at all possible. Thus your primary approach should be to prevent the cat from being able to "ambush" the birds. This can be accomplished in three ways:

1. Eliminate cat hiding spots in your yard, particularly near baths and feeders. Cat hiding spots are any low overhanging shrub or other plant underneath which a cat can crouch and not be seen by the birds.

2. Give the birds lots of good inspection perches from which they can safely look for cats. This is especially important around ground level bird baths and near bird feeders where birds forage on the ground. Small deciduous trees with the lowest limbs trimmed off make excellent inspection perches.

3. If you have persistent cat problems, consider a fence. You can either fence in your entire backyard, or you can just create a barrier between where cats usually approach and where the birds most often are. I find this is very effective because you are cutting off the cats path of attack. Typically I will use a 2 or 3 foot high green vinyl coated fence with a 2x3 inch mesh. Birds even as large as a robin can go through such a fence, but cats can't. Yes cats can go over or around it, but not quickly and not without being seen. So their ability to surprise a bird is taken away. The green vinyl blends in with surrounding foliage so it does not create an eyesore, and not fencing the entire backyard saves both time and money.

I have heard of other techniques which reportedly work. For example, if you spot a cat slinking into your yard, come charging out the back door hissing like a big, mean Tom cat. A similar approach is to come out loudly shaking a can filled with coins. Spray bottles with water also send cats scurrying away. While these techniques definitely work in the moment, I can not attest to how lasting they are.

Algae is naturally occurring and should be present in reasonable amounts in any healthy aquatic ecosystem. However in excessive amounts, it is definitely an aesthetic problem which needs to be brought under control.

The first key to controlling algae is to limit its nutrient source, specifically fertilizers in the water.

With a fish pond, fish waste is the primary source of nutrients for the algae. Thus, step one, if you have not done so already, is to stop feeding your fish, at least until you get the algae under control. The fish will eat the algae and can live for months off it and other organic material in the pond, such as insect larvae.

Another method to limit nutrients, is to have plenty of aquatic plants which grow rapidly and thus assimilate the nutrients. They are basically out competing the algae for available nutrients. Examples of rapidly growing aquatic plants include water celery, water hyacinth, umbrella palm, and water mint.

Ideally the pond water should circulate through the roots of the aquatic plants, enabling them to efficiently absorb the nutrients. This can be achieved by planting the plants in a gravel bed through which the water is circulated. Floating plants such as water hyacinth just need to be positioned so that the water flows past their roots. A successful plant filter will need to be pruned or thinned as it grows so that it does not take over the pond.

Algae also needs sunlight, so limiting sunlight will help. The lily pads of water lilies are also beneficial. Shade trees help, but may not be a quick solution. A black dye which limits sunlight penetration is available, but it also limits visibility of any fish.

Another element in algae control is a biological clarifier. Its function is to break down organic wastes and thus speed their removal from the pond. Strong aeration is also good as it speeds up waste decomposition and removal.

Barley straw is an old method just rediscovered. It acts by releasing chemicals into the water which inhibit algae growth. Unfortunately, it takes about a month to begin working. There are also some who believe that as algae dies it releases chemicals which inhibit further algae growth. Thus many algae blooms are self limiting.

In other words, it may be best to endure a current algae bloom. When doing that, be sure to have vigorous oxygenation, because dying algae consumes a great deal of oxygen, which can lead to your fish dying from a lack of oxygen.

All the above methods of control are natural and completely harmless to birds and fish. We have found that they are simple, effective, and low maintenance, particularly when compared to elaborate filters which require frequent cleaning, or UV sterilizers which are costly and complex.

WINTER CARE FOR BIRD BATHS AND PONDS

By Bill Fintel, Avian Aquatics, Fall 2003

A. Goals of Winter Care:

There are two basic goals to keep in mind:

1. Providing drinking water for birds visiting your yard

2. Maintaining gas exchange in a pond containing aquatic wildlife. A bird's need for drinking water becomes most critical as natural water sources freeze solid. Birds can use snow as a source of water, but often snow gets glazed over with ice and then it can not be used. The most critical situation arises when there is no snow cover, and temperatures remain below freezing for a prolonged period of time. When providing water via a bird bath, use a bath which will not be damaged if it accidentally freezes, and maintain just enough open water for the birds to drink.

Gas exchange makes for a healthy pond by providing oxygen needed by fish, hibernating frogs, etc., and by discharging toxic decomposition gases to the atmosphere. In a pond that is completely frozen over, gas exchange is blocked by the ice layer, and with time aquatic wildlife under the ice can perish due to lack of oxygen or to toxic gas build up. Because chemical processes slow down considerably at low temperatures, only a small area of a pond needs to be maintained open for it to remain healthy. As a rough guideline, try to maintain a minimum of 10% of the surface free of ice during the coldest periods.

B. Energy Conservation

Throughout this guide you will find our discussions address maximizing energy conservation. In other words, using only the minimum amount of purchased energy required to achieve the open water goals of Section A. The three basic techniques to be employed are:

3. Optimizing heater and thermostat selection when they are required These topics are covered from an overview perspective in the following sections. In cases where in-depth coverage is warranted, they have their own separate category later on.

1. Minimizing Heat Loss

The principles here are very fundamental. Just make believe you are the winter bird bath or pond and do what you would do to stay warm - get low to the ground out of the wind, curl up into a ball to minimize exposed surface area, and wrap a blanket around yourself. These principles apply to winter water sources as well.

For example:

Choose a ground level bath over an elevated bath, as it has less area exposed for heat loss.

Locate a bath or pond on the south side of a wind break, such as a house, wall, fence, or shrubbery.

For large bird baths or ponds, float pieces of Styrofoam on the water surface to act as insulation. For esthetics, the Styrofoam can be painted brown with latex paint.

For ponds with creek systems or waterfalls, bypass these to reduce exposed surface area.

2. Maximizing Solar and Geothermal Energy

The sun and the earth can be major allies in your quest to provide winter water economically. The following principles are often easy to implement when planning ahead.

Locate the bath or pond in a location receiving winter sun

Choose a dark color bird bath

Design the pond circulation system to deliver warm water to the pond surface

Remember that ponds which go below the frost penetration depth probably will not require a heater

3. Heater Selection and Use

The key here is only use as much electricity as you need to maintain enough open water for drinking and gas exchange. You are on the right track if, when temperatures go below freezing, your winter water source has a combination of some open water and some ice. - Use the minimum wattage heater to get the job done (see details in Section E) - Be sure the heater is thermostatically controlled - Consider dual thermostatic control for maximum energy savings (see Section C on TMC). - Unplug any heater when temperatures remain above freezing.

C. TMC Thermostatic Plug

The TMC is a plug with an internal thermostat that operates based on ambient air temperature. This is different from thermostats in heated baths and submersible heaters which turn on and off based on water temperature. The TMC turns on at approximately 35° F and off at approximately 45° F AIR temperature. The benefit with this type of control is that as soon as the air is warm enough to be melting ice, the heater plugged into the TMC is turned off. This is especially beneficial for ponds where you might have a large volume of water which you just want at 32° F, but the submersible thermostatic heater you are using is set to warm it up to 45° F and indeed keeps consuming electricity until the water reaches 45° F. With the heater plugged into a TMC, the TMC will shut off the heater when the air temperature reaches 45° F and allow the air to continue the warming process.

D. Choosing a Winter Birdbath

1. Material and bath design

A bird bath to be used in below freezing conditions should be made from a material and of a design that if it accidentally freezes, it will not be damaged. Most plastic baths with a relief to allow expanding ice to pop out of the bath are fine. Concrete and ceramic baths are usually a poor choice. Ground level baths are more efficient than elevated baths because they only loose heat from the top. Elevated baths, such as pedestal and railing mounted baths, loose heat from the top and bottom, plus they are exposed to more wind caused heat loss.

2. Color

Dark colors are preferred to maximize solar energy absorption. If placed in a sunny, sheltered location, such a bath will often provide drinking water around the edges even down to about 24° F. Dark baths with thermostatic heaters will consume less electricity.

3. Built-in Heater

A thermostatic heater installed on the underside of a bath is the most aesthetically pleasing type of heating arrangement because it does not take up space in the bath and is not visible. A 60 watt heater will keep open water down to minus 20 degrees for a bird bath with a water surface of approximately 12" x 18". Remember that you can save a lot of energy by using a TMC thermostatic plug in conjunction with a heated bird bath (see previous section C). Also remember to unplug your heated bath whenever the heater is not needed.

E. Selecting a Heater for an Existing Bath

If you are choosing a heater for a plastic bath, be sure the heater you select is suitable for plastic (most are). Your wattage selection ranges from 44 watts to 500 watts. All except the 44 watt heater are thermostatically controlled, and will not be damaged even if the bath runs dry.

The following table is an approximate guideline for selecting a submersible heater to maintain enough open water for drinking in a nominal 14" diameter pedestal bird bath, with a 2 1/2 inch water depth. For a ground level bath, the listed heaters will to be okay to another 10 degrees colder.

Min Temperature

Wattage/Thermostat 5° F 150 w /thermostat 0° F 44 w /non-therm -10° F 200 w /thermostat -20° F 250 w /thermostat -35° F 500 w /thermostat

Remember that you can save a lot of energy by using a TMC thermostatic plug in conjunction with the above thermostatic heaters (see previous section C). Also remember to unplug your heater whenever it is not needed.

F. Pond Winterizing

Consideration should first be given to reducing exposed water surface area to reduce heat loss. Waterfalls and shallow creeks can be a significant source of heat loss and in cold climates (Fig 4) are often best bypassed to conserve energy. To bypass, simply take the hose loose from the waterfall or from the head of the creek, and place it on the edge of the pond to be kept open. Alternatively, disconnect the hose form the pump and replace with a short section going to the pond edge. Bring inside any pieces that will be damaged if allowed to freeze, such as a waterfall rock.

Many ponds will not need a heater IF the pump is properly positioned to take warm water from near the bottom and discharge it at or near the water surface. This arrangement works as long as the depth of the pond is deeper than the frost penetration depth. Figure 6 shows the average frost penetration depth for regions of the U.S. so you can see if this approach will work for your pond. Even if it will not work all winter, it can still be utilized to minimize the amount of time a heater is needed, and hence reduce your electrical bills.

When using a heater in a pond, again keep in mind that your objective is to deliver warm water to the pond surface to prevent it from icing over completely. To accomplish this, the heater can be placed just before the pump intake and the tubing from the pump positioned to discharge at the pond surface, or you can place the heater at the edge of the pond and discharge the water from the pump across the heater. For a pond with a creek, it is often easiest to just place the heater in the creek and let the water flow across it down into the pond (Fig 4). In addition to the submersible heaters listed in Section E, you can use a floating pond heater which by virtue of it's floating design, delivers heat to the surface without a pump.

G. Solar Winter Water Source

The easiest material and least expensive to use is black pond liner. It will not be hurt if it happens to freeze, it absorbs solar radiation very efficiently, and with in-ground construction is easy to shelter from the wind. Unlike conventional ponds, you will want the liner at the water's edge exposed to the sunlight. Then, even if the entire volume of water freezes solid overnight, as soon as the sun hits the liner-ice interface, if it is not too cold, the sun will start to melt the edge of the ice making it available for birds to drink. In a protected location and on a sunny day, melting should occur down to approximately 20° F with such a set up.

H. Geothermal Winter Water Source

If you are starting from scratch and very concerned with energy conservation, then this approach is recommended. The basic principle is to construct a reservoir that goes below the frost penetration depth. In the bottom of this reservoir place a pump to deliver water to the pond edge to be used as the drinking location. A 120 GPH pump should suffice and will only consume approximately 10 watts of electricity. We hope this article has provided some new insight into winter care of outdoor water features, particularly those used to provide water for birds. Your comments are welcome.

Good winter birding!

How to conservatively provide water for wild birds

by Bill Fintel, Avian Aquatics

As many parts of the country are facing water shortages, we felt it would be useful to outline how you can provide water for wild birds with a minimum usage of water.

For an average size backyard of say 50x50 feet, 3 gallons per day is normally an ample amount of fresh water to meet the bathing and drinking needs of birds visiting the yard. This equates to roughly two flushes or two minutes of shower usage. So in the most conservative case, you can make a small sacrifice for the birds and not use any more fresh water than before. As they say in California, "Yellow's mellow, brown goes down".

For a larger backyard with more birds visiting, or even a small backyard but with lots of good adjacent bird habitat, one may wish to increase the above allocation. However, even for a very large yard, 8 to 10 gallons per day should be more than sufficient. This is clearly within the water budget of a family practicing overall water conservation.

Avian Aquatics drippers are the most conservative way to provide fresh water for birds. Our drippers consume as little as one pint per hour which equates to 3 gallons per day if run around the clock. This flow will keep even a large recirculating bird pond like our 3-tier cascade topped off with fresh water, and a savings in water use can be achieved with a water timer.

If you love hummingbirds and wish to provide water for them by misting, you can do so with an Avian Aquatics mister, as these can be adjusted down to about one gallon per hour. With misters, we do recommend using a water timer to minimize water consumption. Typically, the timer is set to operate for 2 or 3 hours in mid to late afternoon, and as such your misting water usage will be only 2 to 3 gallons per day.

For those with pedestal bird baths, an Avian Aquatics dripper will keep the bath topped off with fresh water, and the addition of a waterfall rock will oxygenate the water to keep it fresher in between emptying and cleaning the bath. Adding water consumption for the dripper with a timer, plus bath cleaning and refilling every 3 days, your average water consumption for the birds will still be less than 3 gallons per day.

One last point, since healthy plants are always part of a bird friendly backyard, be sure to locate water loving plants near where a bath overflows or a mister is misting, so they can benefit from the water not used by the birds.

by Bill Fintel, Avian Aquatics, 7/10/01

Drippers can be one of the most effective means of attracting birds to your yard in hot weather. As the name implies, drippers drip fresh water, typically into a bird bath or pond. When used with a pedestal bird bath, drippers create appealing ripples in the water's surface which can be seen from a long distance by the birds.

Birds will be drawn to a bath with a dripper far more often than to just a stagnant bird bath. Frequently birds will perch on the dripper tube to inspect the bath, and drink the fresh water from the dripper tube as it drips out.

When drippers are used with bird baths or ponds that already have moving water, their primary function is to add fresh water to replace water lost by bathing and evaporation. This water replenishment function not only keeps the pump from running dry, it also insures that clean water is constantly being added to freshen the bath water.

Some Frequently Asked Questions about drippers and their answers:

1. How much water does a dripper use?

When adjusted down to about one drip per second, a dripper only uses about one pint per hour of fresh water. If allowed to run for 24 hours, this would add up to 3 gallons of water per day.

2. What components are in a typical drip system?

Typically one would have a Y valve on the outdoor faucet, and adaptor on the Y valve to reduce down to 1/4 inch tubing, 50 or 60 feet of 1/4 inch tubing, a dripper regulating valve, a support base or equivalent for the dripper tube, and finally the dripper tube out of which the water drips.

3. Can I run a dripper off the pump that is running my waterfall?

Yes, BUT when you do this, you are not gaining the benefit of adding fresh water, and if you have a waterfall, you already have ripples in the water. Thus the normal benefits of a dripper do not exist. Additionally, the water being recirculated by the waterfall pump has lots of particulates in it which will quickly clog the dripper regulating valve and thus require that you clean it frequently.

4. My water comes from a well, won't the dripper cause my pump to cycle on and off too often?

A little more yes, but if you have the flow set low, like one dripper second, and you have a good functioning accumulator tank on your well system (as you should), then the increase in the number of pump on-off cycles will be quite small.

5. Can I have a dripper without a faucet connection?

Yes, you can make a dripper using a suspended reservoir with a drip valve in the bottom of it. The reservoir should hold at least one gallon of water so it can be set to drip for about 8 hours. You will need to refill the reservoir each day before you turn it on. You can also have a recirculating dripper powered by electricity and a small pump. Just remember that a recirculating dripper does not add fresh water to a bird bath, and the dripper regulating valve will need to be cleaned frequently due to particulates in the water.

6. What kinds of birds like drippers?

Pretty much all birds that might visit your backyard would be attracted by the addition of a dripper. The best thing is that this includes LOTS of birds that are not attracted by bird feeders, such as warblers, tanagers, vireos, flycatchers etc.

by Bill Fintel, Avian Aquatics

Nectar feeders, or more specifically, sugar water feeders, are just one element in attracting hummingbirds. For maximum success and the health of the birds, you should also provide flowering plants frequented by hummingbirds, a source of drinking water, and shelter from the elements.

Feeders

When selecting a feeder, keep the following points in mind:

Your feeder should be brightly colored; most are bright red. With such a feeder, dying the sugar water red does NOT help, so there is no reason to feed the birds a chemical dye they don't need.

Feeders with perches are desirable, for the perch allows a tired bird to rest while it feeds. In the east, it is unusual to have more than one hummingbird feeding at a feeder at one time, thus a large feeder is usually not beneficial.

Inverted feeders have a tendency to drip as they heat up in the sun. This attracts ants and wasps. Upright feeders do not have this problem, but, they hold less syrup than many of the inverted feeders.

Feeders should be equipped with ant guards. Typical ant guards are small cups filled with water below which the feeder is hung. Some feeders are made with a built-in ant guard. Be sure to keep the ant guard filled with water.

Inverted feeders should also have wasp guards. This is a plastic cage that encloses the tube out of which the sugar water is drank.

To attract more hummingbirds, provide more feeders. This minimizes the territorial conflicts which erupt. With multiple feeders, you can spread them around so a bird defending one can not see a bird at another, or you can place lots of feeders near each other so one bird can't possibly defend them all.

Hang feeders in a location and at an elevation that is easily viewed. You can hang one right in a window for really close-up viewing.

Plan to clean your feeders at least weekly, so select a design which is easy to clean. Buy special brushes to get in the cracks and cranny's if necessary. Some feeders are dishwasher safe.

Hummingbird Nectar

The broadly accepted recipe for syrup used in hummingbird feeders is one part sugar to four parts water. The sugar should be dissolved in warm water, and the solution allowed to cool to room temperature before using. Store extra solution in the refrigerator. Clean and refill feeders AT LEAST weekly, or when they become low or cloudy. You can use refrigerated syrup directly in the feeders.

Flowers

I recommend wildflowers with tubular red blooms, when limited to a single criteria for selecting hummingbird flowers. In the east this includes Trumpet Vine, Cardinal Flower, Beebalm (Monarda), Coral Honeysuckle, Columbine, and Azaleas. In the west it includes Texas sage (Salvia coccinea), and many of the Penstemons. Note that many eastern flowers can be grown in the west, and vice versa. Hummingbirds will feed on other color flowers, but seem attracted to red first when given a choice. As far as cultivated varieties of flowers, frequently the nectar desirability seems to get bred out of the plants, and beautiful blooms just get sampled and then ignored by hungry hummingbirds. I don't know how to tell which ones will be good and which will not, other than to try them. I have found this to be particularly true of cultivated Salvias.

It is best to plant different flowers which bloom over an extended period of time, and plant them in fairly large groups to make a conspicuous display to better attract the hummingbirds. Feeders should be placed within sight of the flowers. Flowers which bloom when the young birds fledge are particularly beneficial in attracting and feeding the young birds. For instance, in the east, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds fledge in early July at about the same that Beebalm begins to bloom.

Water

The absolute best source of water for hummingbirds is a mister set up to wet foliage of a bush or small tree. Hummingbirds are attracted by the mist and will fly through it, but most actual bathing takes place by them rubbing up against wet foliage. Occasionally hummingbirds will bath in a shallow bird bath with moving water, but not as frequently as by using wet foliage.

Shelter and Nest sites

Early in the spring and again in the fall, when a strong cold front passes through, it is important that hummingbirds can find shelter from cold winds. Hedgerows and other dense plantings afford such shelter. If your flower beds are on the south side of such a hedgerow, or on the south side of your house, the birds will be able to feed while being protected from the harsh winds.

Hummingbird Calendar - East

Over 99% of the hummingbirds observed east of the Mississippi are Ruby-throated hummingbirds. Only the adult male has a ruby throat. The female and immatures are similar with green backs and wings, and off white throat and belly. For the mid-Atlantic, adults are first observed in early April, often returning to the same feeders they used in previous years. Frequently after a brief appearance, they "disappear" to nesting areas, typically large wooded tracks, wooded swamps, etc. Then in early July when the young fledge, there is a dramatic increase in hummingbird sightings. These increased numbers persist until early September when they begin southward migration to Central America. It is during this July to September period when you can have the greatest success attracting numbers of hummingbirds to your yard. Breeding and migration patterns of the dozen or so hummingbirds found in the west are far too complicated to be covered in this brief space, but more information can be found in the following references.

Now that you have chosen the bird bathing system which best fits your needs as well as the characteristics of your location, you can look forward to a dramatic increase in the number of songbirds visiting your backyard.

To further add to the attractiveness of your yard to songbirds, Avian Aquatics also recommends some specific landscaping techniques. The following list, compiled by our owners and other fellow birders, can produce remarkable results with limited added effort on your part.

Consider these ideas for further enhancing the desirability of your backyard habitat to a wide variety of songbirds:

Planting evergreens for roosting, nesting, and cover from predators;

Planting varieties of flowers which hummingbirds like, such as Cardinal Flower, that can be grown in our ponds;

Planting fruit trees and shrubs, such as silky dogwood, to provide food for non-seed eating birds like wax wings;

Leaving tall trees, particularly oaks and hickories, for upper canopy foragers like tanagers and orioles;

NOT applying pesticides to your lawn so that grubs and insects are provided for robins, flickers, etc.;

Allowing flowers to go to seed for juncos and sparrows;

Leaving dead wood, both limbs and trees, for woodpeckers to make nesting cavities in and to feed;

Using plants native to your region as they will usually thrive better and provide a more natural habitat;

Varying the types of plants to create a more diverse micro-habitat to attract a wider variety of birds and other wildlife;

Installing the water sources you select so that they become an integral part of your landscape, i.e., plant moisture-loving plants like Cardinal Flower near your misters.

Other important items to consider when planning and installing your backyard pond:

Plants: Plants will naturally cleanse the water in your pond by trapping sediments and removing dissolved nutrients from bird droppings, and are especially helpful in hindering algae growth. Shallow water plants should be planted directly in the part of the pond which holds the deepest gravel, around the pump and filter housing. When planting them, be sure to gently flush as much of the soil as possible from the roots before placing the plants in the gravel. A list of plant recommendations has been included on our "Controlling Algae During Hot Summer Months" feature- have a look!

Water replenishment: All bird baths are most effective in attracting birds when kept full of fresh water. An Avian Aquatics Leaf-Mister™, Rock-Mister™, Dripper, or Mister-Dripper Combo™ can be used to supply fresh water on a daily basis. This becomes even easier if you use a water timer to automatically turn the water on and off each day. We recommend the Orbit® water timer for reliable shut off at the low flows involved. Mid to late afternoon seems to be a favorite bathing time, and we recommend leaving the dripper or mister on for several hours at a time.

Inspection perch: Because of the threat of natural predators, birds can be extremely wary when bathing. A small tree limb overhanging the bath provides safe access so that birds may first inspect the bath and then also preen after dipping in the cool water. Another popular perch is often the elevated waterfall rocks which we recommend to give birds an added sense of safety. If they still appear wary, you may wish to prop a 3 ft. long branch over the bird bath.

by Bill Fintel, Avian Aquatics

Imagine looking out at your yard and realizing the birds and butterflies have chosen yours as their playground. In the short space here, I hope to give you an overview of plants that have worked well to attract a wide variety of birds to our backyard (145 species). Early spring is a good time start. Proper selection of flowers, shrubs and trees will provide the three key elements of food, nest sites and shelter.

Looking first at flowers, the blooms themselves can provide nectar for hummingbirds and butterflies. Additionally, finches such as the Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, also eat the blossoms. The seed eating birds, such as White-throated Sparrows are ready when the blossoms go to seed.

If you enjoy hummingbirds, flowers are a must. A hummingbird feeder near a colorful flower bed is certain to attract more hummingbirds than just a feeder alone. In the east, my favorite flowers for attracting hummingbirds are bee balm, cardinal flower, scarlet sage, and trumpet vine. Bee balm is an early summer blooming perennial which is also very attractive to butterflies. Cardinal flower is a late summer perennial, which likes rich moist soil and some shade. Scarlet Sage, specifically Salvia coccinea, is a Texas native with smaller blooms than many cultivated salvias, and is a top hummingbird flower. It blooms midsummer to frost. Trumpet vine is a native woody vine that has long orange-red flower loved by hummingbirds - perhaps one of their all time favorites. Trumpet vine can be aggressive, but give it a dead tree or old telephone post towards the back and it will be a garden star.

Moving beyond hummingbird flowers, Purple Coneflower is a perennial frequented by butterflies, which later produces seeds loved by Goldfinches and other seed-eaters. Many of the sunflower-like annuals, such as cosmos and daisies, also have this same seed attraction. Being a birder-gardener allows you to let those flowers go to seed especially at the end of the season. Say goodbye to deadheading. Watching a Goldfinch pluck seed from a spent flower is beauty itself.

Butterfly bush or Buddleia, is an excellent shrub for attracting butterflies of all varieties, and it is also frequented by hummingbirds. The funny thing with Buddleia is that different specimens may look alike but have different attractive powers. So my recommendation is to plant several different varieties, Surprisingly, the best one I have had for hummingbirds was a yellow-flowered one.

Crabapples, particularly those with small fruits about 3/8" in diameter, are my favorite tree for both providing shade in a garden and attracting birds. Cedar Waxwings will eat some blossoms in April, then in May the trees provide excellent nest sites for Robins, and Cardinals. In fall, a good fruit crop, as occurs most years, will provide food for Waxwings, Mockingbirds, Robins and even Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers.

If you have several crabapples, some fruit will usually be left even into late winter to serve as a food reserve. American Dogwood is another good small native for food and nest sites. Red-eyed vireos love the red dogwood berries during their fall migration.

My favorite evergreens are Red Cedar and American Holly. Both are natives that provide food as well as shelter. Cedars have small green fruits eaten by Yellow-rumped warblers, while hollies have berries loved by waxwings and robins.

Groves of evergreens are usually best for maximum shelter from cold and predators.

Among the tall trees, which if you are fortunate enough, you already have in your yard. Tulip Poplars are excellent for foraging insect-eating warblers and vireos, and then in fall, they have a seed crop loved by finches including Evening Grosbeaks. Hickories are a good tree for migrating warblers in the fall, as are the tassels of White Oaks in the spring. When designing a bird garden, one important principle is to create an edge effect similar to the woodland edge.

Begin with low flowers, behind them set shrubs, then small trees, and finally, if you have them, tall trees.

This creates the most diverse habitat in the most compact space. My observations are from Delaware and Tennessee, however the basic principles can apply anywhere.

Now just add water (the fourth element of a great birding garden) and the flocks will flock to your yard.

by Bill Fintel, Avian Aquatics, 6/27/01

Nest Boxes

Most birds do NOT use nest boxes. Rather they build nests in trees, bushes, weedy fields, on gravel parking lots, etc. The following common NATIVE backyard birds do use nest boxes: Bluebirds, Chickadees, Titmice, Tree Swallows, House Wrens, Great-crested Flycatchers, and Downy Woodpeckers. House Sparrows and Starlings are 2 common introduced species that compete with the native species for nesting cavities. By selecting a nest box with a hole size of 1.5 inches you can accommodate most of the above native birds while excluding Starlings. House Sparrows are best excluded by avoiding placing boxes near where they frequent, which is around buildings in fairly open country. Bluebirds require sizable open feeding areas around their box. Specialized boxes will attract Purple Martins, Wood Ducks and Screech Owls if the correct habitat is present. There are many good books available with details on constructing and placing nest boxes.

Nest Timing

Most backyard birds nest in the spring. Natives that live here year round usually nest first. Typically nests are constructed in a week or less. Eggs are laid by the female, usually every day in the morning. Once the entire clutch is laid, usually 3 to 6 eggs, the female begins incubating the eggs. Incubation takes about 2 weeks, and most of the eggs hatch within a day or two of each other. Then one or both parents begin feeding the young, often as frequently as every 10 minutes. The young grow rapidly and are ready to fledge in about 2 weeks.

Baby Birds

Often baby birds when they first leave the nest can not fly. Obviously they are very vulnerable, BUT they are watched and fed by the parents. Thus it is important not to assume they are abandoned. The key determination is to stay back where you will not scare the parents and watch. Usually a parent will arrive in less than an hour. If during this time, the neighborhood cat strolls up for an easy meal, of course shoo the cat away. Usually within 24 hours, baby birds can get up into bushes or low trees high enough to minimize cat predation. If you justifiably conclude the baby birds have been abandoned, you should rescue them and call one of the many bird rescue organizations who will come and collect them from you. In the meantime, moistened puppy chow makes a good food for most baby birds which might be found in your backyard.

Second Nesting

Many birds nest a second, and even a third time during the season from spring through summer. Typical repeat nesters are Bluebirds, Carolina Wrens, Morning Doves and Cardinals. Frequently the nest construction is faster and the number of eggs laid is smaller for second and third nests.

by Bill Fintel, Avian Aquatics

Transmitted by mosquitoes, West Nile virus is rapidly spreading across the U.S. The primary recommendation to prevent getting West Nile is to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.

Although, even when bitten, the chances of acquiring West Nile are very small, fewer bites certainly lower your risk. Avoiding mosquito bites means staying inside screened-in enclosures, applying mosquito repellents, not going out at dawn or dusk, AND eliminating mosquito breeding places.

Mosquito larvae must live in water. Additionally the water must be stagnant or standing. Ponds and streams that have waves do not host mosquito larvae. Bodies of water in which fish live, also do not host mosquito larvae. In and around a backyard, the following items can hold standing water:

The recommendation for bird baths is to empty and clean them at least once per week (twice per week is better). The water borne phase of the mosquito life cycle is over one week long even under the most optimum conditions.

Another thing you can do is to add a waterfall rock with pump to create waves in the bird bath. In other words convert it from stagnant to moving water. The waves prevent the larval stage of the mosquito from being able to keep it's air tube above the water surface to breathe.

For ponds, the more water movement the better. All our bird ponds are designed with a sufficiently large pump and waterfall to avoid stagnant water and breeding mosquitoes. For larger ponds with less water movement, fish are your best preventive measure.

Fish eat mosquito larvae. Goldfish are fine. Locally purchased bait minnows (killifish in Delaware) also work very well, and often can more effectively avoid predators, such as cats, raccoons and herons.

Birds can also catch West Nile when bitten by mosquitoes, thus dead birds can be an indication of a local West Nile outbreak. Dead birds should be reported to your local health department. The health department will tell you whether to collect the bird, how to collect it, and to whom to deliver it.