HINTS FROM HELOISE

King Features Syndicate

heloise@compuserve.com

Dear Readers: Many homes have large windows, but unfortunately birds have a hard time telling the difference between the reflection in the glass and the real sky, so they can fly full speed right into the window and can be seriously hurt or even killed.

According to our friends at the National Audubon Society, there are a few precautions we can take to help prevent these crashes:

•Reduce the amount of reflection by installing a window screen.

•Block the sun from hitting the window by planting trees or installing awnings.

•Move bird feeders a good distance away from windows.

You've probably noticed birds tend to collide with windows more during their migration, but breeding season also can be a dangerous time for our bird-feeder visitors, so making a few changes could save lives.

We've had a couple of birds – a mockingbird and a hummingbird – hit a window. We picked them up and placed them on a high surface to protect them from predators, and once they regained their senses, they flew off. So, our story has a happy ending, but please follow the above hints to keep birds safe.

Heloise

Dear Heloise: An easy way to clean a glass hummingbird feeder is to put a spoonful of uncooked rice in the dirty feeder along with just enough water to shake the rice around the feeder. The mildew will come off instantly. Just rinse the feeder, and it's ready for refilling. I've got so many families in my yard that I need to refill daily.

Sandy Olin, Westlake Village, Calif.