Spring is Here.

With spring, we see many different birds in our yards and see many starting to work on nests and getting ready for the coming spring/summer. This is good time to do some spring cleaning of our bird feeders and bird baths. Use vinegar water or a 9 to 1 bleach solution, to clean your feeders and bird baths. If you use the bleach solution make sure to really rinse the items to make sure there is no trace of the bleach. In most cases the feeders are easy to take apart to thoroughly clean them. If you have any questions, come on in and let us show you how to take your feeder apart.

West Nile.

As in previous years, we will start hearing about West Nile disease. This is carried and spread by infected mosquitoes. Some migratory birds can carry the disease from other areas and we may find dead birds in our yards that we can not explain. To make sure what has happened we can call the county and get them to pick up newly dead birds and they will check them for West Nile. This does not mean we have West Nile up here, it means that bird had West Nile from somewhere. If mosquitoes up here bit the bird then those mosquitoes could have West Nile. If we have any standing water or areas that have mosquitoes then we must be concerned about the possibility of West Nile. You may hear or read in the coming months about standing or stagnant water could be a breeding ground for mosquitoes and you will be told to dump your birdbaths. Well, wait a minute. The water in a birdbath is not usually stagnant water and must be filled on a regular basis because birds, squirrels, and other wildlife drink and use the water daily. If the water is moving with either a pump, water wiggler, or some other means, then mosquitoes can not lay their eggs in this type of water. If your water stays in your birdbath for a longer period of time you can routinely clean your birdbath and change the water or use special dunks that are not harmful to wildlife but will kill mosquito larvae. Just remember more birds die from lack of water then lack of food.

Ever increasing bird seed costs.

Over the last year but especially since the first of the year, we have seen a large increase in cost of seed and suet. In an attempt to keep your cost for feeding the wildlife in your yard, make sure that you are not feeding your premium bird seed to the squirrels, chipmunks, or other animals in your area. Look at alternatives to the more expensive seed but remember that if you put a seed into your feeder that is not a preferred or good substitute for the birds you have been enjoying you might find that you don’t have good numbers of birds at your feeders as well as, finding excessive amounts of seed on the ground that the birds you have been feeding are now kicking out on the ground. If you have ground feeders, you don’t have to give them premium seed but you can use some less expensive mixes. Try smaller bags of seed to determine whether you have enough birds at your feeder or that the majority of your birds have left because they do not like your seed choice. Look at our preference chart or come on in and we will work with you to find the right mix for you. We can also make up special mixes based on what birds you have and what birds you want.

Report your sightings.

Start looking at the birds at your feeders or around your area and let us know what you have. This can help us all to see more birds and add new ones to our bird lists. You can also report your bird findings on the internet at ebird.com but also give us a call here at Wild Wings so we know what you have seen.

New at Wild Wings Unlimited

We now have available National Forest Adventure Passes.

Coming Memorial Day

Memorial Day weekend, the stores on Moonridge will have the first annual yard sale. Each store will have special sale items out Fri, Sat, Sun, and Mon.. The stores on Moonridge are Bear Mountain Trading, Big Bear Blossoms, Big Bear Board Shop, Lakeside Furnishings, and Stampede Scrapebooking. Other stores may also join in with specials for the weekend.

Bird Walks.

Our next bird walk will be the 4th Saturday of May. As of the first of the month, we are looking at having this walk in Holcomb Valley. This will be dependent on the availability of water in this area and the bird count. We can increase bird count by providing seed to the area we want to have the walk but water is always the most important factor to good bird count.

Wildflower Corner

May 10 is our first wildflower walk. We will most likely be visiting one of the pebble plain areas, but our push will be to find a new site from previous years to see some other species of wildflowers that we have not seen in many years. We wont have an exact location until Friday morning on the 9th. As of now there should not be a requirement for wilderness passes. 

Monthly Eagle Counts

March eagle count was 3 eagles with 1 adult and 2 immature birds. But we will also keep track of the pair of eagles that appear to have made a home here in the valley. 

Last Seen: Seen in the area of Pine Knot near Big Bear Lake Village. Also seen in the area of Forest and Lakeview in Big Bear Lake.

Call the Discovery Center for more information.

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December January February March 2006-2007 4 8 5 5 2007-2008 4 3 6 3

Eagle Counts: None until next December