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Welcome to BirdTracks® Online!
An e-mail newsletter from
Wild Birds Unlimited for October 2004.

In This Issue:
 - Ghosts and Goblins . . . and Bats!
 - Fall Birdfeeding Tips.
 - Nature Products Galore.
 - Your purchases help fund two new projects.

Ghosts and goblins and bats, oh my!
October is time for all things spooky - ghosts, goblins and even bats. Bats have been the source of myths and fears for many years, but getting to know this fascinating creature can put things into perspective.

North American bats are invaluable natural resources. As primary predators of night-flying insects, bats play a vital role in maintaining the balance of nature. A single little brown bat can catch hundreds of mosquitoes in an hour. Bats that frequent bat houses eat insects that could damage crops, such as cucumber and June beetles, stink bugs, leafhoppers and corn worm moths.

Bat Facts

• Little Brown Bats, while hibernating can reduce their heart rate to 20 beats per minute and can stop breathing for 48 minutes at a time.
• Little Brown Bats can hibernate for more than seven months if left undisturbed.
• Desert eco systems rely on nectar feeding bats as primary pollinators of giant cacti.
• A nursing little brown bat mother can eat more than her body weight nightly (up to 4,500 insects).
• Less than 1% of bats contract rabies, and they only bite in self defense.
• A mother Mexican Free-tailed Bat can produce more than five times as much milk as an average Holstein cow.
• Almost 40% of American bat species are threatened or endangered.
• The loss of bats contributes to an imbalance in nature that helps cause increases in use of toxic pesticides that threaten our health and environment.

Additional resources:
Bat Education and Bat Habitat Brochure

Fall Birdfeeding Tips
Across much of North America the fall season is upon us. Now is the time to assess your yard to ensure you have done what you can to help the birds through migration, winter, and even through spring.

• Take a look at your yard. A diverse habitat encourages a variety of birds. Add plantings now that will produce cover and flowers for both birds and butterflies come springtime. Plants can also be added that will produce berries next year, attracting fruit-eating birds. (Planting now ensures plants establish strong root systems for better top growth come springtime.)
• Inventory your feeders. In addition to hopper feeders and seed tubes, consider adding a peanut or suet feeder to your yard. Suet and peanuts are high in fat which provides energy and helps birds stay warm in the winter.
• Clean your feeders with a solution of one part bleach and ten parts water. Rinse thoroughly.
• Offer water to attract migratory birds. As temperatures drop, it is important to provide an open source of fresh water for the birds. If temperatures are dropping below freezing at night, be sure to add a birdbath heater.
• Once hummingbird migration has ended in your area, take down your feeder, clean and store.

Do you want more of the best advice for the birds specific to your area? Stop in to your local Wild Birds Unlimited and ask!

New Projects Funded at Wildlife Refuges
Thanks to your support, the Wild Birds Unlimited Pathways To Nature® Conservation Fund will soon have two great new sites with the recent announcement of funding for projects at both Chincoteague and Blackwater National Wildlife Refuges.

Chincoteague NWR, located on Assateague Island in Virginia will receive funds to create new educational kiosks and to refurbish existing wayside exhibits.

Blackwater NWR, located 12 miles south of Cambridge, Maryland, will receive funds to construct and display a new second story addition to the Blackwater NWR Visitor Center.

Please visit our Pathways To Nature web site for more information on these newly funded projects.

A portion of proceeds from your purchases at Wild Birds Unlimited helps fund education, conservation and wildlife viewing projects at wildlife refuges, parks, sanctuaries and nature conservancies through our Pathways To Nature Conservation Fund.

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