THE HUMMZINGER HIGHVIEW Feeder by Aspects, Inc. is a handy and easy hummingbird feeder that is easy to clean and refill, and has bee- and wasp-resisting nectar guard tips. This is one of the numerous hummingbird feeders available at Backyard Bird Shop.
AS ONE CAN see from this hummingbird display at the Backyard Bird Shop store in Vancouver, the shop carries a huge variety of hummingbird feeders and other related items.
If you love birds and become concerned about your winged friends during the colder winter months, Backyard Bird Shop in Vancouver will likely keep you busy browsing for hours and will probably result in you leaving with a few bags full of goodies for your lawn and garden guests.
Although many garden and landscape enthusiasts enjoy feeding birds such as hummingbirds during the spring and summer months when they are frequent visitors to those hanging fuchsia baskets, many people forget that Anna’s Hummingbirds, the largest of the coastal Pacific Northwest hummers, are here year round.
Unlike Rufous Hummingbirds, Anna’s Hummingbirds do not migrate, but instead stay in the area throughout the winter.
“Some people don’t realize you can also feed them in the winter,” said Todd Kapral at Backyard Bird Shop. “By having the feeder out, you won’t stop the migratory species from migrating. (Anna’s Hummingbirds) eat mostly the same kinds of foods in the summer and winter. They are also known to eat spider eggs and tree sap during the winter. There are, of course, still some blooming flowers in the winter around here, and also some soft-bodied insects that they do eat.”
There are many ways to attract hummingbirds into your yard other than by having a hummingbird feeder, including having a variety of plants they like such as fuchsias, salvias, snapdragons, bleeding hearts, foxgloves and more.
Kapral said many plant stores and nurseries now have a section with hummingbird-friendly plants. During the spring and summer months, he said Backyard Bird Shop carries a mixture of plant seeds people can plant to attract the birds.
Because the winter weather in the Pacific Northwest can sometimes get cold during the winter months, hummingbird feeders do have the unique problem of occasionally freezing. Kapral said they carry feeders with heating mechanisms, including a heated hummingbird feeder, some wraps, a feeder with a lampshade and a light bulb in it in which the feeder can be placed below and more.
“We are probably on the tail end of the season when there would be trouble with freezing hummingbird feeders,” Kapral said.
Anyone looking for a hummingbird feeder or two can find a large variety to choose from at Backyard Bird Shop, ranging from the very simple and basic plastic feeder, to a fancy glass-blown feeder and everything in between.
“We always encourage folks to think about that the sugar water we use for these feeders can spoil very quickly, especially in the summer time,” Kapral said. “Anytime it gets bugs in it, it can spoil almost instantly, so frequent cleaning is really important. We recommend you swap the nectar out once a week in the winter and twice a week in the summer.”
Kapral said it’s important that people just use plain table sugar for their hummingbird feeders, staying away from using honey or premade nectars that are not good for hummingbirds. He also stressed that people should never use food coloring in their feeders, as it is very bad for the birds. Backyard Bird Shop does sell finely ground sucrose to use for the nectar, or make it yourself with plain sugar.
Backyard Bird Shop also sells a variety of food for other birds that might venture into your yard aside from hummingbirds. Kapral said they offer several different kinds of suet, which is traditionally thought of as a winter feeding item for birds, although there are birds in the area that eat it all the time.
Suet is rendered beef fat and there are different grades of it available. Kapral said the shop offers rendered beef kidney suet and a whole line of insect suet. He said they encourage customers to feed the insect suet simply because of the added protein and because birds that eat insects tend to go to the insect suet more often.
As far as other bird feed items go, Kapral said they also carry a line seed and nut cakes by Mr. Bird. There are a number of different flavors such as a fruit and insect one and a fruit and nut one.
Getting away from birds, Kapral said Mason bee time is quickly approaching, and Backyard Bird Shop sells the bees and all the supplies needed for the coming season.
“Mason bees are very effective pollinators and they don’t sting,” Kapral said. “We have a wide range of Mason bee supplies and this is the time to get them ready. Their cycle is during the spring, so late winter is when you want to be getting supplies ready. The bees themselves won’t emerge until we still consistent temperatures of 56-57 degrees.”
While birds and bird feeding is the main focus of Backyard Bird Shop, the store also offers a wide range of nature-related gifts, bat houses, Mason bee houses and more. Some gift/decor items available include chimes, yard decorations, bird baths, bird houses, walking sticks and children’s games, puzzles and books.
Backyard Bird Shop is open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. every day, except for Fridays when they are open 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sundays when they are open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. The Vancouver store is located at 8101 NE Parkway Dr., Vancouver. For more information, visit their website at www.backyardbirdshop.com or call the store at (360) 253-5771.
