Return of the Sale Table
It’s that time of year again, and our Sale Table is back in all its red stickered glory! While we do our best to find interesting new items that folks will enjoy, sometimes things don’t move as quickly as we’d like and we have to make room for new inventory. Our loss is your gain! Starting this Saturday, you can come by and browse our Sale Table, and be sure to keep an eye out as we will be adding more items to it and running specials on popular items as we move into late summer and fall!
The Sale Table is Back!
Product Special: Butterflies of Tennessee
Summer in Middle Tennessee is a great time of year to observe butterflies and moths. However, if you are like me, too many of these beautiful insects go unidentified. To remedy this, we are running a special on our preferred field guide to the moths and butterflies of our state! We have carried Rita Venable’s Butterflies of Tennessee for a number of years now, and it has remained our favorite butterfly guide since we got them in. It is extremely detailed, with full color photographs of all the life stages of each moth or butterfly, as well as range maps, detailed information, and even tips for what to plant in your garden to attract each species. Today through Friday, August 1st, take 25% off the price marked!
Butterflies of Tennessee by Rita Venable
How Birds Survive the Heat
If you have been watching the birds from the comfort of your (hopefully!) air-conditioned home during this hot weather and wondering how they survive such high temperatures, you’re not alone. Fortunately, much like birds have adaptations that make it possible to survive cold temperatures, the same is true for the hot days of summer.
One simple way for birds to “beat the heat” is by keeping activity to a minimum during the heat of the day. By increasing their activity in the early morning and late afternoon, birds are able to rest and conserve their energy during the hottest hours of the day.
Another way they are able to regulate their temperature is by “panting.” Some species have developed an adaptation known as gular fluttering, which works by rapidly vibrating the moist membranes of their throat, which in turn leads to evaporative cooling. If you’ve ever seen a bird with its mouth open that appears to be panting, chances are this is what it’s doing!
Blue Jay “Panting”
Photo by Eli Haislip
Lastly, one of the best ways for them to stay cool is by taking advantage of water. Be it a cool creek, river, bird bath/fountain, or a post rain-shower puddle, water is an excellent way for birds to cool off. By exposing their skin to the water while they bathe, they are able to dissipate heat quickly and effectively. This is why this is a great time of year to offer water if you are not doing so already. Be it a fountain that provides running water, a traditional birdbath in the shade, or even a planter base or dish with cool water, birds will take you up on offerings of water. (For those of you interested, we even have two fountains on our sale table this year!)
Scarlet Tanagers Enjoying an Andra Fountain
Video Courtesy of Susan Haislip