And the WINNER is...
We have this month's WINNER in the For The Birds Photo Contest!
CONGRATULATIONS to Tonya Collins! You have won a FREE 20 lb bucket of Birdman's Blend Premium Birdseed, courtesy of For The Birds!
Tonya was our random drawing winner for this beautiful photo of a Grosbeak back in late April!
From Tonya:
"I've never seen a Grosbeak before in my life until today. [the day of the photo] He's absolutely beautiful! Looks like the word is getting out that I fill my feeders with Birdman's Blend!"
Way to go, Tonya! What a beautiful shot!
Thanks so much to everyone who sent in photos! It is such a joy to be able to share backyard birds together!
You can see a collection of some of our terrific entries at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/…
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Who will our winner be next month? It could be YOU!
Simply snap photos of your backyard birds and post them to our Facebook page for a chance to win a free 20 lb bucket of Birdman's Blend premium birdseed (A $35 value)!
You may enter as often as you like and no professional photography skills required. (We choose our winners randomly.)
We simply want everyone to share and enjoy the wonderful world of backyard birds together!!

One of the best ways to attract birds to your backyard, besides feeders, is to provide a good source of clean water. And moving water works even better! We have a great selection of bird baths at the store as well as the Water Wiggler. The Water Wiggler creates continuous ripples in your birdbath. The sound of water attracts birds, plus it prevents mosquitoes from laying their eggs, helping to fight the spread of diseases.
Stop by to see our selection today at For The Birds!

Have you discovered For The Birds?
We are Oconee County's only dedicated wild bird supply store! We carry a wonderful selection of bird feeders, houses, bird seed, lawn and garden decor- everything you need to enjoy the wonderful world of backyard birds!
We are located at Rt 130, 1229 Stamp Creek Road, in Salem (Just past the Subway in the Keowee Key community).
Mention this post to receive $5 off your purchase of $25 or more! Stop by to see us soon!

A great event to expand your knowledge of birds!
Duke World of Energy has an interesting, free program that will expand your knowledge of birds.
Peter Kipp, a licensed falconer from Asheville, NC will share his passion for Falconry with others. There is nothing like handling and flying a bird of prey and seeing these magnificent creatures up close.
You will have a close and personal “hands on” experience with a bird of prey. Many guests will have the opportunity to handle the raptor and experience the exhilaration of having this magnificent bird perch on their gloved fist. Come fly with us!
Falconry is an ancient interaction and working relationship between man and animal. It has been practiced in some form in nearly every corner of the globe for centuries. Evolving from simple nomadic tradition to the sport of royalty to the now highly regulated pastime enjoyed by more than four thousand falconers here in U.S. and tens of thousands around the world.
June 15th @ 10 a.m.
Please RSVP for these free activities. Call the World of Energy at 864-873-4600.
Join us for an introduction to birds of prey and falconry with Curtis Wright Falconry! This program features a presentation followed by an exciting experience with birds of prey.

​We all enjoy all of the wildlife we see in our own backyards. It’s exciting to be able to look out your window and see a variety of species without even having to leave your home. There are many things that we can do to help ensure that the bird species we see in our own backyards continue to thrive. Here are five things you can do now to help our feathered friends right outside your window:

Read more: http://birdsandblooms.com/blog/5-ways-to-help-bird-species-in-your-backyard/#ixzz497XOWKsz

We love our birds.... bears, not so much.
Feeding birds in the summer is enjoyable because the birds add interest, color, motion and music to our yards. However, there are several things bird lovers can do to reduce bear activity in the area other than “stop feeding the birds.” They are attracted to garbage, pet food, bird seed and BBQ grills that we leave outside.  Luckily, they are much more active at night than during the day; most of their raids on homes and cabins happen at night, which makes it easy to keep them out of trouble. 
 

• Don’t leave trash or garbage outside.
• Keep pet food inside
• Keep your BBQ grill clean and covered, or store it inside.
• Avoid bird seed that contains milo and other “fillers”.  Milo is generally not eaten by our birds, but is often a filler in inexpensive “wild bird mix.” It usually winds up on the ground under your feeders and will attract bears and raccoons at night, even if you take your feeders inside. Our Birdman’s Blend doesn’t have “fillers” and very little falls to the ground.
• Use a hot pepper seasoning mixed in with the bird seed like Coles Flaming Squirrel Seed Sauce. Birds will eat it but squirrels and bears don't like it.
• Use feeder trays attached to or under the feeders to catch spilled seed.
• Hang bird feeders on a wire between trees 8+ feet above the ground.
• Bring your bird feeders in at night if you feed your birds from the yard.
• Feed birds from a second story porch if there are no stairs to the ground.
• Hang your bird feeders under the eve of the roof. Squirrels won't get to the feeder also.

Stop by the store with your bear concerns and we should be able to
come up with birder solutions.

See a helpful video by For The Birds owner, Terry Allen, about minimizing things that attract bears to your yard below!
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