In the hustle and bustle of the holiday cheer …
the feeders went empty – Oh Dear, Oh Dear.

So stop by the store, this week full of cheer,
we’ll extend a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Stop by the store this month and share a bit of the holiday season with us – and we’ll share a bit of savings with you –

Happy Holidays!

Safflower is a highly branched, herbaceous, thistle-like annual, usually with many long sharp spines on the leaves. Plants are 30 to 150 cm tall with globular flower heads (capitula) and commonly, brilliant yellow, orange or red flowers. Each branch will usually have from one to five flower heads containing 15 to 20 seeds per head.

Safflower has a strong taproot which enables it to thrive in dry climates, but the plant is very susceptible to frost injury from stem elongation to maturity.

In many cases, safflower seeds will do the trick in stopping squirrels feed at your feeders. These small white seeds are high in protein and fat but have a bitter taste that blackbirds, starlings, grackles and squirrels generally don’t like. Here are some songbirds that do enjoy safflower seeds.

• Safflower seeds are favorites of cardinals and are typically the No. 1 ingredient in mixes designed to attract these bright red birds. Jays enjoy these seeds too.
• Chickadees, house finches, titmice, nuthatches, buntings, and grosbeaks are some of the smaller songbirds that also like safflower seeds.
• Many species of woodpecker will eat safflower seeds as well as their preferred foods, such as nuts
• Mourning doves, named for their soft, sad-sounding call, are common backyard visitors; they like safflower seeds, too.

• The Kaytee Nut and Berry Blend Bird Seed is a sure to attract many birds to your backyard.  This berry and nut bird seed mix is made with a variety of delicious seeds and nuts that birds crave and has dried cherries mixed in for a sweet flavor.  Give this bird seed mix as a special treat for the birds any time of the year.  It is great for attracting a variety of birds to your yard.
• Another great bird seed mix is the Scotts Songbird Fruits and Nuts Blend Bird Seed.  This fruit and nut blend bird seed is made with a variety of nuts, like pecans and peanuts, and also has papaya and raisins that birds adore.  When you use the bird seed in your bird feeder, you will see a wide variety of birds in your yard, such as woodpeckers, nuthatches and buntings.
• To add some more variety to your bird feeders, use the Bird Lovers Blend Fruit and Nut Bird Food by FM Browns.  This delicious bird seed mix is made with a great selection of fruits such as sliced apples, pineapples, raisins and bananas.  It also contains a variety of nuts that are high in protein and offers birds a nutritious and healthy treat all winter long.

To keep the birds attracted to your yard all winter long, keep it interesting by offering the birds a fruit and nut blend bird seed.  The birds will love all of the different textures and flavors in the bird seed.

A great winter bird seed for the birds is the Kaytee Black Oil Sunflower Bird Seed.  This bird seed contains high quality black oil sunflower seeds that birds love to eat.  Black oil sunflower seeds are high in both protein and fat and perfect for feeding the birds in the winter.  A wide variety of birds love to eat this type of seed and will be attracted to your bird feeders all winter long.

If you live in a warmer climate and have finches all year love, a great bird seed for finches is the Kaytee Wild Finch Bird Seed.  This seed may be given to a variety of finches all year long and is ideal for use in a finch bird feeder.  Fortified with a mineral supplement and high in protein and fat, your backyard birds will stay healthy all winter long.

To help boost energy and add some variety to the bird’s diet, try using a bird seed like Peterson Field Guides Flourish Wild Bird Food.  Made with a variety of tasty nuts like almonds, peanuts, pecans, and cashews, the birds in your backyard will go crazy for this great tasting bird seed.  The mix of nuts gives the birds a variety of flavors that birds love to eat and the high protein and fat source that birds need for survival.

A great bird seed to feed the birds any time of the year, especially in the winter, is the Kaytee Waste Free Bird Seed.  This high protein bird seed is great for providing birds with lots of energy and the fat content helps birds to thrive all winter long.  The waste free bird seed is concentrated to last in the feeder longer and contains only the parts that birds love to eat. Your wild birds will keep coming back for more all winter long!

Another great quality bird seed that is very economical for bird feeding is the Kaytee Wild Bird Seed.  This bird seed is made with a variety of millet, black oil sunflower seeds, cracked corn and other tasty ingredients that birds love to eat.  It is great for feeding a large quantity of birds throughout the winter and the price is great!

For attracting birds that enjoy black oil sunflower seeds, try using the high quality and economical Kaytee Black Oil Sunflower Bird Seed.  This high fat bird seed is perfect for building up fat stores for winter survival and the birds love the great taste.  Black oil sunflower seeds have a thinner shell that is perfect for attracting songbirds in the Southern winter climates.

Don’t forget to feed the birds this holiday season because the birds depend on your food for survival.  For more economical and high quality bird seed, check out Rachel’s Robin.

To attract a large variety of birds to your feeder, choose Lyric Black Oil Sunflower Seeds. These seeds are small and have a soft outer shell that a large number of birds can easily pick apart and eat. Not only are these seeds packed with protein, but they are rich in oil to keep birds warmer and dryer during the winter months.

In addition, both black-striped and gray-striped sunflower seeds are also a great source of protein and oil for backyard birds. Birds that are attracted to black striped sunflower seeds are Blue Jays, Cardinals, Chickadees, House Finches, Tufted Titmice, and the White Throated Sparrow. Blue Jays also enjoy gray-striped sunflower seed. A variety of birds enjoy either kind of sunflower seed as long as it is hulled.

Choosing a variety of sunflower seeds for your backyard birds is great for attracting them to your yard and giving them essential protein and oil for survival. No matter which kind of seed that you choose, you are sure to attract birds to your yard. For a variety of nutritious bird seed, take a look at Rachel’s Robin.