Ask Steve Grinley, owner of Birdwatcher’s Supply and Gift in Newburyport, for the most common question his customers ask and he doesn’t hesitate.
"The squirrels are eating the seed in my backyard bird feeder," is the lament of many walking into the business he calls "Bird Central" for much of Essex County.
Birdwatcher’s Supply and Gift is a Greenbelt business partner and Grinley says his best-sellers are SquirrelBusters which "absolutely work."
The interest in backyard bird feeding and birding has grown substantially in the 24 years Grinley has owned his business.
"Climate change is giving people a connection to nature and an awareness that they never had before," said Grinley. "They want to help the birds."
For the backyard feeder, sunflower seed and suet are attractive to the widest variety of birds, Grinley said. Suet is especially effective during nesting season as it is easier for fledging birds to digest.
The tools now available, including smartphone apps, are drawing younger people to outdoor birding. "The resources of the internet have connected everyone," said Grinley, who stocks a variety of binoculars and scopes, field guides, along with feeders, bird houses and seed.
Grinley has traveled the world in search of birds and spotted the rare Spoon-billed Sandpiper in Thailand. Perhaps as few as 100 breeding pairs remain.
Closer to home, the Little Egret tops his list. A European counterpart to our common Snowy Egret, strays have been seen a few times on the Atlantic coast in recent years.
Grinley has donated binoculars for sale at Greenbelt’s annual Art in the Barn. Birdwatcher’s Supply and Gift, which also sells high-quality art and gift items, offers a 10 per cent discount on many items to our members.