Hello Friends,

Hard to believe it's already August. Although the perception is that
August marks the end of summer this season's mid point doesn't come until
August 5th.

Our Summer Swap Sale is on for the month of August. Bring in any old
birdhouse or feeder for 20% off a new house or feeder. Also, bird baths
and binoculars are 20% off.

The Goldfinch are on a comeback after having been nesting for the past
couple of months. We're used to seeing Goldfinch in large family groups
until they split up in the summer to court, incubate, and tend to their
young. After the chicks fledge they begin to rejoin the larger colony. If
seed sales are any indicator I can report that Nyjer and Finch Mix seed
sales fell off to near zero for the months of June and most of July.
Things have turned around significantly in the last week or so. I'm
starting to see Goldfinch fledglings and up to 6 adults at a time on the
feeders at my home and here at the store.

Hummingbirds have been very active in the area in the last month. I can
only attribute the cold wet spring and early summer to keeping their
numbers down. Of all the fledglings that can be seen during this period
the cutest has to be the hummingbirds. They are almost the size of their
parents except their colors aren't as developed and their abdomens aren't
as filled out. Hummingbirds are also eating several kinds of small flying
insects. Try hanging a banana peal or piece of watermelon near the
feeder. This will attract fruit flies, which is one of the Hummingbird's
favorite treats. Hummingbird season will be with us for a while so if you
haven't put out your feeder know there is still plenty of time.

As I mentioned in the opening of this newsletter, August tends to be
thought of as the end of summer. After Labor Day the fun is over and it's
time to get back to work or school. For me, August and September are the
peak months of summer in terms of activity in nature. Many plants,
vegetables, and fruit trees are at their highest yielding point of growth,
flowering, and produce. Many insects reach maturity and start their life
cycle over. The birds are busy raising their young are doing their best to
attract a mate in hopes of raising one more brood before fall arrives.

During this time of year I enjoy driving slow with the windows down. It's
a good time to open up and tune into your "peripheral sensory perception".
PSP if
you will. In our busy lives with so much to do it's easy to get tunnel
vision and tunnel hearing; when all you pick up on is what relates to what
needs to done, what needs to seen, or what needs to heard. If your daily
route takes you through an area where the speed limit is 35 mph or slower
you might want to give this a try. Roll down your windows and turn off the
radio. This is a great exercise to do when the kids are in the car. It's a
good reason for them to turn off the video game or take off the head
phones. The point here is to see how many different birds, insects, frogs,
and other sounds you can hear as
you're moving slowly through the area. Open up to your sense of smell and
sensitivity to temperature change as well. There are a lot of things
flowering out there. The smell of a large crop in the field or a fresh cut
lawn is quite nice if you notice.

This exercise may seem silly or odd at first. However the advantages are
great even though experiences are subtle. The more you experience through
all of your senses the more your brain is stimulated on different levels.
The old saying "use it or loose it" rings true for many things including
your mind. After you practice PSP a few times you will be amazed at how
many things you'll you hear, smell, and sense. It's hard to say exactly
what benefit you may get from this exercise. Hearing a Whippoorwill when
you drive by the lake at night or the smell of roses from a neighbor's
yard can be more than a pleasant experience. When your brain is stimulated
in ways it wasn't before who knows what thoughts, ideas, or inspirations
may follow?

For example, on my daily commute I have to drive 25mph on Tabernacle Rd. as
it goes by the Medford Lakes Country Club and the Lower Aetna Lake beach.
In that 2 mile or so stretch I typically hear 10 different types of birds
from Orioles to Killdeer, 3 different types of insects, 3 different
flowers, and 2 temperature changes. Sometimes there's even an occasional
tree frog chirping away. After practicing PSP for several years I can pick
up on a lot of things in any given area with little effort.

My grandmother used to tell me there is a reason why God gave you 2 eyes,
2 ears, 2 nostrils. and only 1 mouth. I must have been a chatty boy
because I think her message was to remind me to spend more time taking it
all in as opposed sending noise out. Sometime we spend too much effort
trying to get our message out or point across. Try to take the time this
summer to spend a few minutes in your garden or for a few blocks
through your neighborhood to open up to all that is there. You may think
at first that all the wonder and beauty just showed up when in fact it has
been there all along.

Until next month, please stay well, safe, and happy.

Kindest regards,


Hank Wright
Owner
A Wild Bird Oasis
741 Stokes Rd.
Medford, NJ 08055
609-654-6777
www.awildbirdoasis.com