 Now is the perfect time to put out your birdhouses for the birds to nest this spring and summer and it is important to clean your birdhouses out before you hang them up for the spring. Birdhouses can harbor a variety of unwanted pests such as lice and mites and can make your birdhouse less desirable for the birds if not properly cleaned out for the upcoming year. A dirty birdhouse that contains these pests can make the birds feel uncomfortable and can discourage them from making a nest in the birdhouse. To make sure that your birdhouse is clean, it is important to follow these simple steps:
- Always remove the old nest from the birdhouse and throw it away. Never leave the nest in the birdhouse to be reused. Before cleaning the birdhouse, thoroughly remove the nest. Wash out the birdhouse with a damp cloth and a small cleaning brush to get into corners and crevices with a little dish soap, then rinse it out thoroughly with warm water.
- After cleaning and rinsing out the birdhouse, make sure that the birdhouse is left open to air dry before the roof is closed.
- If it appears that the birdhouse has lice or mites, use a miticide to kill these types of pests and let this air dry before closing the roof.
- Once the birdhouse is dried out, you are ready to hang up your birdhouses for the spring!
It is also a good idea to clean out your birdhouses every time your visiting bird family has finished their brood and started on another brood. For a great variety of birdhouses, check out Rachel’s Robin.
 A beautiful glass hummingbird feeder not only looks great in your yard, but is ideal for attracting and feeding hummingbirds. Glass is a great material for feeding hummingbirds because it is very durable, transparent and easy to clean thoroughly. Glass hummingbird feeders are also available in a variety of styles and colors and add some character and whimsy to your yard. Hummingbirds are attracted to the vibrant colors of the glass and the glass allows you to easily see when a refill is needed. If you have a clear glass hummingbird feeder, just fill it up with red hummingbird nectar to get the attention of the hummingbirds.
The beautiful Cut Glass Hummingbird Feederby Audubon Woodlink is constructed of ruby red, cut glass in a classic, slender shape that is sure to attract a variety of hummingbirds to your yard. It may be filled with clear or red colored hummingbird nectar and is easy to open, clean and fill. This hummingbird feeder has three flower-shaped feeding ports for feeding three hummingbirds at one time and can hold up to 10 ounces of hummingbird nectar. Place this hummingbird feeder near your house by a window to enjoy the look of the feeder and the hummingbirds feeding at it.
Another small and charming hummingbird feeder that looks great near a window or hanging on a small tree or post is the Mini Lantern Hummingbird Feederby Audubon Woodlink. This mini lantern hummingbird feeder is perfect for hanging on an evergreen tree branch or on an ornamental tree and it can hold up to 14 ounces of clear or red hummingbird nectar. It is designed to feed up to four hummingbirds at one time. The top and bottom have a finish that looks beautiful shining in the sun.
No matter which glass hummingbird feeder you choose, you are sure to attract more hummingbirds to your yard, while adding interest. Check out Rachel’s Robin for more attractive and unique glass hummingbird feeders for your yard.
 Spring is quickly approaching and if you love to feed the birds, now is a great time to prepare yourself for their upcoming arrival. The best way to attract birds to your yard for the rest of the spring and summer is to start the season off by offering a habitat in your yard that is ideal for birds. To keep the birds nearby throughout the spring and summer, it is a good idea to place the following items in your yard:
- Bird Feeders: The surest way of getting to watch the birds in your area is to place bird feeders in your yard. Keep a couple of bird feeders filled at all times and you are sure to see lots of birds. Don’t forget to place a hummingbird feeder in your yard too. These delightful, little birds are very interesting to watch and fun to capture on film.
- Bird Seed: This is essential for your bird feeder and helps you to attract a variety of birds or a specific type of bird. Choose a bird seed that is a mixed variety to fill your bird feeders if you are a beginning and you will be sure to see a great number of birds in your yard. A nut and berry blend, like the Kaytee Nut and Berry Blend Bird Seed, is so tasty that you will have several birds visiting numerous times throughout the day!
- Bird Bath: if you don’t have a fresh supply of water nearby, a bird bath will help to keep the birds in your yard. Not only do the birds like to drink from a bird bath, but they also like to bathe in the bath.
- Bird House: make sure to place some bird houses in your yard to offer the birds some shelter. The type of shelter you choose will depend on the type of bird that you would like to attract. The Ware Nest Boxes for Birds – Reverse and Regular are great for attracting a variety of birds.
February 25, 2010 – 11:57 am
 Start preparing for the arrival of spring with a beautiful and decorative bird feeder for your home or yard. A decorative bird feeder is a great way to add some spring cheer any where you place it and it is great for attracting the birds who fly back early to your yard. To liven up your yard for spring with a bird feeder, look for bird feeders that have a unique shape or ones that are brightly colored. Here are some of my favorite bird feeders for spring:
- One of my favorite, fun bird feeders for spring is the Singing Birds Birdfeeder by Rossos International. This beautiful, hand-painted bird feeder is painted in a bright yellow and has charming birds and flowers painted on the front. It may be filled up with a variety of bird seed to attract any early bird to your yard. A cute, little wooden bird sits on top to add some whimsy to the bird feeder.
- An unusual bird feeder for your yard is the Cattail Wire Mesh Stake Wild Bird Feeder made by Duncraft. This natural looking bird feeder is ideal for any natural water setting such as a pond or lake. The birds love to feed from the bird feeder and this bird feeder can be placed near a deck or patio to add a touch of nature. Place this bird feeder in your yard as soon as the snow melts and the ground softens to start attracting finches, chickadees and more.
- For those of us that are missing the warm, glow of the sun, the Solstice Bird Feeder by Woodstream is sure to bring some spring cheer to your yard. This bird feeder features a colorful, stained glass sun and can hold up to 5.5 pounds of bird seed. Hang this bird feeder near a window in your home to enjoy the sun rays shining through the stained glass.
February 22, 2010 – 12:56 pm
 A great way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year is by sharing your love of being Irish or the day with the birds in your yard. Go green for this special day by displaying green outdoor bird decor and hanging a fun, green shamrock seed wreath any where in your yard. To help create a St. Patrick’s Day theme in your outdoor bird decor, here are some easy tips to follow:
- Place the Shamrock Seed Wreath for Wild Birds seed feeder in an evergreen tree or on a tree branch to help make your yard more festive for the holiday. This seed wreath is made of peanuts and safflower seeds that are colored green with food safe coloring and is ideal for attracting cardinals to your yard. It also makes a great gift for anyone who is Irish and celebrates the holiday.
- The Going Green Mixed Seed Wild Bird Feeder is a great feeder for attracting a great variety of birds to your yard because it is designed to hold a variety of bird seed. It is environmentally friendly and makes a great gift for any bird lover who is Irish. The bird feeder is made of recycled materials and comes in two sizes depending on the amount of birds that you want to attract to your yard.
- Another fun, green touch to add to your yard is the Circles Retro Chic Birdhouse. This birdhouse is hand painted in green with pink circles and has a cute, little green bird on top for fun. Made to be fully functional as an outdoor birdhouse, this green birdhouse is designed to attract a variety of birds, including small to medium sized birds, and comes with an adaptor ring to change the hole size. It looks great in your yard all year long and is perfect for adding a green spot to your yard.
February 16, 2010 – 9:46 am
 Spring will be here before you know it and most of the birds will return to look for a great source of food. To prepare yourself for spring and the birds, it is a good idea to get your bird feeders now ready for feeding the birds if you haven’t done so already. Before you fill up your bird feeders with bird seed, they should be thoroughly cleaned and inspected for any damage. It is a good idea to throw away any birdfeeders that is cracked because cracks can be breeding grounds for bacteria and mold.
To clean your bird feeders properly, use hot soapy water to kill any bacteria or mold. Dish soap is great for removing grim and mold from the feeder and rinsing clean. Use a brush like the Perfect Little Brushes to get into the corners and crevices and to thoroughly clean out the feeding ports.
A kit like the Bird Feeder Accessory Starter Kit by Droll Yankees is also great for starting off your bird feeding season. This kit contains a soft brush for cleaning out your bird feeder, a great scoop for scooping out and pouring bird seed and a chain for hanging up a bird feeder.
If you have a collection of hummingbird feeders, the Hummingbird Foam Cleaning Mop is great for cleaning out your feeders. This soft, sponge is designed to get into all of the crevices of the feeder. It is ideal for cleaning out a tube style hummingbird feeder or an irregular shaped feeder.
After you have scrubbed down your bird feeders, carefully rinse them out and allow them to air dry in a warm, indoor spot. Once dry, your bird feeders are ready to be filled and hung. Use a variety of birdseed to start off the season right!
February 12, 2010 – 2:41 pm
 A multiple seed tube bird feeder makes a great bird feeder for any new or established bird watcher. This type of tube bird feeder can hold a variety of bird seed at one time, which makes it ideal for attracting a variety of birds to your yard. Another benefit to placing a multiple seed tube bird feeder in your yard is that is requires less refills and less seed is wasted if the birds do not like a particular type of bird seed.
One of my favorite multiple seed bird tube feeders is the Triple Tube Wild Bird Feeder by Woodstream. This beautiful, green tube bird feeder has three individual tubes for holding up to ten and a half pounds of bird seed. It is designed to attract a wide variety of birds because they perches are adjustable. It can feed up to 24 birds at one time at the perches and other birds can feed at the seed tray. You may want to fill each tube with a different type of bird seed to see what kinds of birds you can attract to the bird feeder.
The Metal Safe Haven BirdFeeder is another triple tube bird feeder that is designed especially for attracting a variety of birds. It has a surrounding cage that birds can fly into and helps to keep squirrels from getting to the bird seed. Each tube may be filled with a different type of bird seed or a the same type of bird seed and the feeder holds about six pounds of bird seed, so it will not need to be refilled for a while. This tube bird feeder also has a seed tray to catch the fallen bird seed.
Another great multiple seed tube bird feeder is the Perky Pet Triple Tube Bird Feeder. This multiple seed tube bird feeder also has three tubes for keeping the bird seed separated. It has a sleek design and is charcoal gray for those who like a more modern bird feeder. Each tube has multiple ports for feeding a large number of birds at one time and is ideal for feeding a variety of sunflower seeds to the birds.
No matter which multiple seed tube bird feeder you choose, you are sure to a variety of birds to watch in your yard!
February 12, 2010 – 2:01 am
 The economy is tough and Rachel’s Robin wants to help you save on your wild bird supplies.
If we are not the lowest priced wild bird retailer on the internet, we want to fix that and make sure you get the best price.
We were recently asked to join Petazon – the leading online price comparison website for wild bird supplies. Although at face value – it seemed like a wonderful idea – but behind the scenes .. it put a bit of pressure on us, because we had to make sure that we were the lowest out there when it came to bird feeders, suet and wild bird supplies.
The story behind Petazon is that they have accumulated product information on wild bird, animal and pet products from over 30 online retailers and designed the technology to compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges. Or should we say hummingbirds to hummingbirds and nectar to nectar. The technology consists of a little bit black magic, a little bit blood, sweat and tears, and a little bit UPC and product codes.
All in all, it turns up a pretty nifty comparison of prices.
Take a look at the Ice Eliminator, which is pictured to the right top of this blog entry. Check out Petazon’s Pet and Animal price comparison to see the prices of this product across the internet.
Happy shopping and of course – happy savings! Don’t forget about Rachel’s Robins quantity discounts and free shipping on orders >$60 with coupon: freeship.
February 4, 2010 – 1:36 pm
 If you have a special bird lover in your life, now is a great time to show how much you care and appreciate that person by giving him or her a special bird related gift. Get creative and give that person some special bird seed, bird feeder or a bird house that he or she will love. There are so many great items to choose, but if you stick with a theme that the person likes, picking out a gift will be much easier.
One of my favorite Valentine’s Day related gifts for bird lovers is the Ornamental Mini Seed Hearts for Wild Birds – 3 pk by Pine Tree Farms. This charming three pack of bird seed hearts are perfect for giving to any special bird lover in your life. These hearts look great hanging on an evergreen tree or hanging on a tree branch. The bright red color really stands out during the winter and is great for attracting cardinals to your yard. Several hearts can be hung at one time for a bird’s delight. You can also break up the pack and give the hearts individually.
The Heart HummingBird Feeder by Artline is a fun, heart shape bird feeder made especially for feeding hummingbirds. This beautiful hummingbird feeder is a vibrant red to attract many hummingbirds to your yard. It is easy to fill and may also be mounting to the window for a close up view of the hummingbirds as they drink from the bird feeder.
For a touch of fun on the wild side, choose a birdhouse like the Zebra Retro Chic Birdhouse to brighten up your loved one’s day. This fun, zebra printed birdhouse is great for adding whimsy indoors as a decoration or outdoors as a safe place for the birds to nest. It is made to be durable and includes a ring to make the hole smaller to attract a variety of birds to the birdhouse.
January 28, 2010 – 12:57 pm
Setting up your wren house in the early spring or late winter is very important because the male wren likes to scout out several wren houses before bringing his mate back to investigate and choose a new home. It is a good idea to select your wren house and set it up early to make sure that you will have wrens in the spring and summer. As soon as the snow is melting, set up your wren house in the yard and it won’t be long before you have wrens living in your yard.
One of my favorite wren houses is the Redwood Wren House by Heath Mfg. Co. because it is made of beautiful redwood and has a charming chalet style. This wren house is easy to keep clean because it has a slide out bottom and it has a small perch for the wrens to use as they hop into the home. This wren house looks great hanging up in the tree or on a post in your garden.
The Going Green Wren Houseby Audubon Woodlink is the perfect wren house for anyone who is concerned about the environment. It is made of 90% recycled plastic material that is resistant to bacteria and very easy to clean. The recycled plastic is resistant to mold because it doesn’t absorb water. This wren house looks great mounted on a tree or a post and blends in well with nature.
Another charming wren house is the Chickadee, Titmouse, & Wren Nest Box by Droll Yankees. This wooden wren house may be stained or painted with non-toxic, weather resistant paint to give it a customized look. It has a large overhang to help keep rain or wind out of the house and you can add a small perch for the wrens to land on to make entry into the wren house easier.
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