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Welcome!
Call: (800) 326-4928
or click here for the store nearest you!

Franchise information:
Call: (888) 730-7108
 http://www.wbu.com/frdev/

Welcome to BirdTracks® Online!
An email newsletter from
Wild Birds Unlimited for May 2004.

In This Issue:
 - It's not too late! Mother's Day is Sunday May 9.
 - Hummingbird fun facts (share with family & friends!)
 - Mosquito solutions for your backard.

It's Not Too Late! Remember - Mother's Day is Sunday May 9
Celebrate your mom every day and remember her with a special gift of nature on Mother's Day. Let Wild Birds Unlimited help you choose that perfect gift.

Choose from a wide selection of unique nature gifts, hummingbird feeders, and decorative yard art sure to please mom. Stop by your nearest Wild Birds Unlimited store today!

Hummingbird Fun Facts

  • Hummingbirds weigh just under an ounce; about the weight of a penny.
  • They lay the world's smallest bird egg.
  • They use spider webs as glue to attach the nest to a tree branch as well as a binding agent for the building materials.
  • Hummingbirds eat about every 10 minutes.
  • They drink nectar from plants and sugar water from feeders.
  • They love spiders and spider eggs.
  • Hummingbirds can fly up to 60 miles per hour usually flying 30-45 miles per hour.
  • Their wings beat 20-80 times per second.
  • They sleep in trees and go into a kind of trance called torpor each night to slow down their metabolism. Their heart rate goes from 1200 beats per minute to 50 beats per minute.
  • The iridescence in their feathers has led them to be called the "jewels of the garden." This is a reflection of light and not so much a pigment of the feathers.

More information on hummingbirds is available here: http://www.wbu.com/edu/hummer.htm

Mosquito solutions for your yard
Here are some tips to help you keep mosquitoes at bay in your yard this spring and summer:

  • Keep your birdbath water fresh by replacing water at least weekly. This disrupts the mosquito larvae growth cycle, so they are not able to emerge into biting mature mosquitos.
  • Use a birdbath scrubber brush available at Wild Birds Unlimited to swipe out any mosquito eggs that may be attached to the birdbath each time you change the water.
  • Try the "Water Wiggler" in your birdbath (check for local availability). The Water Wiggler agitates the water's surface to prevent the mosquitoes from landing and laying eggs - this motion also attracts birds to the bath.
  • Ask about biological products for ponds or outdoor fountains to kill mosquito larvae in water.
  • Adding a Wild Birds Unlimited bat house to your backyard habitat invites bats to take up residence. Bats are an excellent natural mosquito control. Bats feed on hundreds of mosquitoes and other flying insects nightly.

Wild Birds Unlimited® has more than 300 locations across North America. For more than 20 years, the company has specialized in bringing people and nature together by providing expert information and offering an exclusive line of products designed specifically for the backyard birdfeeding hobby. The company is committed to educating the public about the importance of preserving natural wildlife habitats.

Pathways To Nature® Conservation Fund: All Wild Birds Unlimited stores donate a portion of proceeds to this fund to support education, conservation and wildlife viewing projects at wildlife refuges, parks, sanctuaries and nature conservancies throughout North America. More information is available at http://www.pathwaystonature.com . 

We Bring People and Nature Together®

For a Wild Birds Unlimited store near you,
call (800) 326-4928 or access Store Locator.

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