Wild Birds Unlimited

08/10/2026

🌲NATURE WALK OF THE MONTH🌲

Our second walk brings us to:

DIVIDEND POND TRAILS & ARCHAEOLOGICAL DISTRICT

🎯 Location: There is parking and entrances to the trail system from Pleasant Valley Rd and Old Forge Rd, both in Rocky Hill, CT.

↪️ Directions from our store: Take Rt. 3 towards Wethersfield. Once over the bridge, take Rt. 91 S and take the first exit (23). At the end of the ramp, go right onto Rt.99S and continue on into Rocky Hill. Both Old Forge Rd and Pleasant Valley Rd will be on your left.

🫈 Length of walk: There are over 5 miles of trails and archaeological ruins to explore here.
The shortest being about 1.5 miles. The white blazed trail is 2.5 miles and loops around the pond.

⏱️ How much time do I need?: You can make it a short visit by parking at the lot on Old Forge Rd. From there it's easy if you just want to see the pond, the dam, and some of the ruins.
Taking the white blazed trail around the pond takes a half hour to an hour, and adding in other loops tacks on another hour or so.

🖼 Best Season to visit?: Just like last months walk, this is a cool place to visit year round! A few notes of caution: the area around the dam is quite steep with many stairs that could pose an issue in icy winter! And, if your going in summer, remember bug repellant!

🐦 Birds & Wildlife likely to see?: Given this area is pond/wetlands surrounded by old growth forest, you may see water birds 🦆. I did not take my own advice with the bug repellant, so my trek was rather quick and I didn't linger long enough to see a lot of birds. But I did HEAR lots of jays, catbirds, and woodpeckers. AND I saw no less than a dozen turtles 🐢 sunning themselves on floating logs! And, I don't know if this counts, but i even passed a little fairy 🦄 homestead!

🧭 Nearby?: Before or after your hike, visit Tony's Flour Shop 🌈 for delicious coffees ☕️, pastries 🍰, and sandwiches 🥪 (they're only open until 2pm), and after a warm summer hike, you might enjoy reward yourself with an ice cream cone 🍦at Tall Man's Ice Cream. Both shops are just a little further south on Rt.99

Be on the lookout for next month's post on another nature walk recommendation! And remember we welcome anyone else's ideas for local parks and trails to visit with the wild birds! Just put them in the comments below!

08/08/2026

Cute animal plush from Fahlo NOW ON SALE at WBU Glastonbury!

We have:

🦍Gorillas
🦒Giraffe
🐘Elephants
🐬Dolphin
🦈Shark
🐢Turtles
🦁Lions
🐻‍❄️Polar Bears

OH MY! Regularly priced at $29.95, NOW ONLY $14.95!

You not only get a cuddly buddy, but each one comes with the name, story, and adventures of a real live animal on this planet! 🌎

Come get some of these at an amazing price before they're gone!

08/07/2026

Please join us in welcoming our newest Wild Birds Unlimited franchisee, Jim Welome! Jim has recently purchased the WBU store in Warwick, RI. Jim said, “With gratitude in my heart, I work with a wonderful team of professionals to continue the success that Jennifer and Richard have built over many years. It's a dream come true." We're excited to celebrate the beginning of an exciting journey!
To learn more about how you can own your own WBU store, please visit us at https://franchise.wbu.com. To find a local WBU store near you, please visit https://www.wbu.com.

08/07/2026

08/06/2026

We've been noticing more birds and feeders showing up in movies and TV lately, and we love seeing nature represented in pop culture! 🐦

Check out the article below, which also includes a podcast where the creators of HBO's Task discuss why birds played such an important role in the series, who on set were the birders, why they ended the finale with birds instead of music, and even their use of the Merlin Bird ID app.

We also couldn't help but notice what looks like one of our Advanced Pole Systems in the closing credits of the season finale. 👀

Director Jeremiah Zagar and Brad Ingelsby explain how birds became a key theme and the last images of the series end credits.

08/05/2026

https://givebutter.com/fawn_enclosure

Support the journey from rescue to release for injured local animals

08/05/2026

🐦❤️Yesterday afternoon, down the street from our home in Portland, my husband and I encountered an injured seagull walking along the road. Despite his significant injuries, this sweet spunky beautiful bird did his best to evade capture. But ultimately, we won! Securely ensconced in a large towel, we transferred him into a dog crate, and whisked him away to safety.

Unfortunately, the hardest part was yet to come. Over the course of the next three hours, I called and left voicemails for every rehabilitator I could find, in and between all corners of our state. No one was able to take him. After so many painfully frustrating hours of tearful and unsuccessful phone calls, I didn’t know what to do.

This a problem that unfortunately many of you have encountered yourselves, as well. Licensed Animal Rehabilitators in CT use their own money to pay for the care/housing/food/medical bills of those they rescue. Lacking any kind of financial state support, the numbers of these tenacious, selfless heroes are dwindling year by year. This is why for all of us, when we encounter injured wildlife, it keeps getting so much harder to find someone who can help.

But just when I felt I had exhausted every resource, I received a phone call. I had finally found my savior!

Janey, from Spicy Paws Animal Rehab, gave me my only hope of the evening. If we could get our seagull to her, she’d take him!

After returning from his 2 hour trip to Spicy Paws, my husband Justin reported that our seagull was now safely delivered into the right hands! He also shared how impressed he was with Janey, and with everything she is doing at her rehab location.

As with all the other times we have entrusted hardworking rehabbers with the care of an injured animal, we of course left a donation, (and our seagull).

Knowing the kind, wonderful, loving, generous, caring hearts of all of the customers who make up our WBU family, we wanted to see if we could do more…

For any of you who are able to do so, please consider donating to Spicy Paws! We know that times are tough, and it won’t be possible for everyone. But if you can, Spicy Paws will put your donation to good use!

They are currently fundraising to enlargen their fawn pen. The state mandates a specific number of square feet for a specific number of fawns. Once at capacity, rehabbers are forced to turn additional fawns away. After her fundraising goal is reached, Janey’s larger pen will allow her to help more and more fawns for years to come! If you can, please donate! If you can’t donate, you can still help by sharing the word of her fundraiser with others in your network! Our thanks to everyone who donates - we are doing the same!!🙏🥰

CLICK HERE TO DONATE! —> https://givebutter.com/fawn_enclosure

Spicy Paws Wildlife Rehab

08/04/2026

Wild Birds Unlimited is proud to partner with Birdability, an organization working to ensure birding is accessible and welcoming to people of all abilities. ♿💚 Whether it’s exploring accessible nature trails 🌿 or simply listening to birdsong 🎶 from a patio, birds can provide a meaningful connection with nature.

Simple changes, like seating near feeders, clear pathways, or feeders placed near windows, can help create welcoming spaces where more people can enjoy the birds. 🐦🏡 Backyard bird feeding can also make birds more accessible by bringing them closer to home.

Visit the Birdability website (www.birdability.org) to learn how you can get involved.

08/04/2026

Whooo's wise today? August 4 is International Owl Awareness Day. Its goal is to raise awareness about our beloved nocturnal raptors that have long captivated us with their mystery and perceived wisdom.

Featured Birds:
Barred Owl
Eastern Screech Owl
Burrowing Owl

08/01/2026

ROWF! Are you sick and tired of that 'ol 🥎tennis ball? Have your owner bring you down to Wild Birds Unlimited Glastonbury so you can pick out your new favorite ball! Lots of different colors to choose from.

WUNDERBalls:

💚 Virtually indestructible
🧡 Floats
🩷 Cleans teeth
💜 Bounces unpredictably
💛 Dishwasher safe (top shelf)
🩵 Safe for your pup and the planet!

Yes, we're your neighborhood bird specialists, but we love all animals! Well behaved pups 🦮are always welcome to come in to the store with you. We even have a kitty 🐈 that comes in to visit with her owner!

By the way, the Golden art on this picture is MOLLY by Penny Hauffe. We also carry greeting cards by Pumpernickel Press!

Hope you all have a Woofy Weekend!

07/31/2026

The 2026 Barred Owl Cam highlights are HERE! 🦉🎥 Check them out and let us know your favorite Owl Cam memory in the comments!

Everyone's favorite Barred Owls returned for their 13th consecutive...

07/29/2026

Some suds for your bird buds 💧! One of the most important things you can do as you feed the birds is to keep your feeders clean. It helps to prevent the spread of illnesses from feeder to feeder. And let's face it, dirty feeders are gross. Learn more here: www.wbu.com/bird-feeder-care-cleaning

07/26/2026

JEFF'S BIRD OF THE MONTH

How is everyone's summer ⛱️ going?
I SO enjoyed everyone's Catbird photos and stories last month! 😊
This month I'd like to share some information on another bird seen here in Connecticut only in the summer. The very tiny Chipping Sparrow! Chippers may be one of those LBJ's (Little Brown Jobs) that no one really talks about, but it does have some distinctive features that make it quite recognizable. I had a pair that visited my yard for quite a few years. Sadly, they did not return this summer 😢. So, this is a tribute to my little friends who either didn't make it back this year, or found another yard to enjoy! (Let's go with that last one!) 🥲
Here's some fascinating facts about Chipping Sparrows!

EYE LINER 👁 Chippers are one of the smaller (5") sparrows with a clear gray chest, white eyebrows with black eyeliner, and a rusty crown. They have two white wing 🪽 bars across their brown wings. They are monomorphic, meaning males and females look identical. The only way to recognize juveniles is they will have a little brown streaking on the chest.

SEWING MACHINE🧵🪡 They get their name from the short, rapid, mechanical "chip" sounds they call that sometimes are compared to a sewing machine!

MILLET? You are often told to stay away from seed blends that have a lot of millet. This is true most of the time, but Chipping Sparrows LOVE IT! They are often found on the lawn underneath the feeders filling up on millet that other feeder birds have knocked to the ground.
I would often buy a 5lb bag of plain hulled white millet just to sprinkle on the ground for my chippies!

YOU'VE HEARD OF HAIR BANDS 🎶🎸 But what about hair birds? The female builds a cup style nest 🪹 often lined with animal hair! Back in the day when farming was more prevalent, Chippers would use horsehair 🐴 to line their nests. Nowadays, sometimes pet hair will do 🐶. However, it is generally not recommended to purposely put out pet hair for birds to use.

THEY MUST SPEND A LOT
OF TIME AT THE LAUNDROMAT 🧼. While most bird species molt, or replace, their feathers once or twice a year, Chipping Sparrows change their "clothes", especially on their face and throat, up to six times a year!

TALK ABOUT METABOLISM. Chipping Sparrows migrate to Southern Texas, Florida, and Mexico in the fall. During the winter they are voracious eating machines! 🛒 They can eat 2 pounds of insects and seeds. That may not seem like much, but given they only weigh a half ounce, that means they eat up to 70X their body weight in a season!

Thanks for reading this month. If anyone has any photos or stories about Chippies, please send them in the comments section!
Until next month...happy birding!

07/23/2026

🚨 GIVEAWAY 🚨

We’re giving one lucky winner everything they need to get started with FeatherPro®️️ SuperBlend®️, crafted to support feather health 🪶 with high protein, fat, and added calcium for bone strength and egg development. 🥚

Enter to win:
🪶Bag of FeatherPro®️️ SuperBlend®️
🪶FeatherPro®️️ Hanging Tray
🪶$50 Wild Birds Unlimited gift card 🎁

How to enter:
1️⃣ Like this post ❤️
2️⃣ Follow Wild Birds Unlimited
3️⃣ Comment below: What birds are visiting your feeder right now? 🐦⬇️
😎 Optional: Tag a friend who loves their backyard birds as much as you!
Giveaway Details:
➜ Ends Thursday, July 30, 2026 at 12 PM ET
➜ One winner will be selected at random and announced via our Story
➜ Open to U.S. residents only. Employees, officers, directors, and immediate family members of Wild Birds Unlimited or its affiliates are not eligible
➜ No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. This giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by, or associated with Instagram or Facebook
➜ Winner will be contacted via direct message from only