Seeds, water just two secrets to attracting birds this winter

Seeds, water just two secrets to attracting birds this winter

The birds you feed in your back yard need more than seeds to make it through the winter. They also need spas.

Actually, they need open water to drink and keep their feathers in shape. And one way you can help is with heated birdbaths. Bird spas, er baths, are just one product we found that you might want to add to your backyard aviary this winter.

"Birds go crazy for water in the winter time when the air is dry," said Ron Zick, owner of Wild Birds Unlimited on Rand Road in Arlington Heights and Waukegan Road in Glenview.

He sings the praises of the birdbaths and heaters made by Allied Precision Industries in Elburn. Heated birdbaths that clamp on your deck railing, then tilt to be cleaned are in Zick's stores and on his Web site arlingtonheights.wbu.com starting at under $50.

"You don't have to worry about the element," said Zick. "If it runs out of water it just keeps the plastic at about 50 degrees. It doesn't burn out if you're away or a raccoon tips it over at night."

If you're happy with your existing birdbath, API also makes drop-in heaters, starting at about the same price range. And Greg Fecteau of Chalet on Lake Avenue in Wilmette prefers the Heated Rock Birdbath De-icer from Farm Innovators. It looks like stone rather than a coil and costs $55.

Pretty seeds

Even bird seed doesn't have to be boring. Fecteau recommends holiday seed blocks from Mr. Bird in shapes like wreaths, snowmen and Santa. They come with a variety of seeds to attract different birds and price tags from $9 to $50 at Chalet.

While we're talking holidays, if you are looking for a gift for your favorite birders, Fecteau recommends barn wood birdhouses made by Nature Creations in central Illinois. Their prices are from $40 to $150 at Chalet (chaletnursery.com).

Easy feed

Some of Zick's customers have moved into communities where they learn to their disappointment they are not allowed to put out bird feeders or they don't have storage space for birdseed. His solution for them is Bark Butter, a yummy mixture of suet, peanut butter and corn. As you might guess, you can smear a few tablespoons on a tree, and the woodpeckers, nuthatches and chickadees fly in for the high-calorie snack. It's good for migrating birds in the spring and fall, too, he said. A tub is on sale for $10.

He also sells seed cylinders that can be hung without a feeder. The 2 pounds of seeds are held together with gel. These are $12.

Flowers

And soon (OK, it won't seem soon) you will be planting new flowers in your garden. So why not select ones that will provide seeds during future winters for our feathered friends. Brian Wolff, Chalet's nursery manager, likes Firebird, a new compact red coneflower.

He also recommends other new varieties of plants: Autumn Revolution bittersweet produces twice the fruit of the species; Viking Black chokeberry with red fall foliage that contrasts with the black fruit; and Raspberry Tart viburnum, a dwarf with great fall color.

Camera

Here's something that won't do a thing for the birds, but could enhance your appreciation of the hobby. Yes, it's a candid camera for birds. The Audubon BirdCam costs $159, and you can learn where to buy it at wingscapes.com. It's a weather-protected digital camera you hang so it's pointed at your feeder or bath, and a motion sensor takes pictures when you're not there. It can also be set to operate at specific time intervals or with a 30-foot remote control cord. This new product is almost $100 less than another Wingscapes has been selling.

Here are a few birding facts and tips from Ron Zick, owner of Wild Birds Unlimited in Arlington Heights and Glenview.

•It should be a great winter for bird watching. The cooler summer provided a lot of natural food and shelter for birds, and the populations have recovered nicely from the West Nile epidemic and are in good condition going into the winter.

•Birds that stay all winter are the seed eaters - cardinals, finches, blue jays, chickadees and nuthatch's. It's the insect and berry eaters who have to move on to warmer climes.

•If cats roam through your yard, keep your feeders as high as you can and away from low-lying vegetation where the felines can hide. You want the birds to be able to see 360 degrees while they are eating.

•Another adorable problem is squirrels. There are baffles that keep squirrels off feeders and feeders guaranteed to be squirrel proof. Some people just set up separate feeding stations for the bushy tails.

Palatine cops' say moral to Brown's case: 'It's never too late to call'

Palatine cops' say moral to Brown's case: 'It's never too late to call'



Palatine Police Cmdr. Bill King, left, and Chief John Koziol walk through the lobby of the Criminal Courts Building in Chicago moments before a jury sentenced James Degorski to life in prison without parole on Tuesday.

Palatine Police Chief John Koziol remembers the first time he laid eyes on the men responsible for the grisliest crime in Northwest suburban history.

"I finally met the beings that killed seven innocent souls and thought, 'This is it? These are the guys that did this to these poor people? They're a couple of losers who never did anything decent in their lives.' I felt disgust, and a lot of hate and vengeance."

That anger will likely never fully subside, but Koziol said he's grateful the victims' families are suffering a little less now that both Juan Luna and James Degorski will spend the rest of their lives behind bars. Luna was convicted and sentenced in 2007. Degorski's jury declared his sentence on Tuesday, following an eight-week trial.

Previously, Koziol and Palatine Police Cmdr. William King, the investigator to whom Degorski confessed in 2002, have been bound by a court-imposed gag order and could not discuss the case. That changed on Tuesday, when a jury sentenced Degorski to life in prison without parole, just like his accomplice. They're thankful for the guilty verdicts, but disappointed the pair wasn't sentenced to death.

"We have total respect for the jury and the system," Koziol said. "There was just so much human suffering, we were hoping for a different outcome."

In the moments before the court clerk read the verdict earlier this month, Koziol said he thought about how the victims' immediate families filled nearly half of the courtroom.

"They've always had poise and dignity from the early years all the way through the verdict," Koziol said. "They always supported us, even when we didn't have answers for them. I think they're afraid we'll forget their loved ones now that this is over, but we never will."

Though he never felt hopeless, King said he often "got that jaded feeling," especially Monday mornings when, often, domestic disputes over the weekend led to people pinning the Brown's murders on their significant others.

"It happened all the time," King said. "And you have to investigate it. You always hoped it'd be the one."

Answers finally came in the form of lead No. 4,842: a call regarding Degorski and Luna.

Koziol lauds the two women who provided the long-awaited break in the case. Melissa Oberle called police after learning details of the crime from Degorski's ex-girlfriend, Anne Lockett England.

Koziol won't comment on who he thinks should receive a $98,000 reward established in the case, but he said England's name doesn't belong in the same sentence as that of Eileen Bakala, a Degorski friend who testified against him and Luna but also kept the pair's confession secret for nine years.

"Anne came forward through Melissa and was extremely cooperative. She did everything we asked of her," Koziol said. "Eileen on the other hand, we had to go find. Her reason for not coming forward was her deep friendship with Degorski, not fear."

Koziol clarified that neither woman received immunity, though Bakala did get a letter from prosecutors stating she wasn't the target of their investigation. In fact, he said they couldn't come up with a charge even if they tried.

"There's a misconception that knowing something about a crime is itself a crime, but legally people can keep these dark secrets to themselves and never come forward," Koziol said. "If there's any sort of moral to this story, it's that it's never too late to call."

In the years following the murders, the Palatine Police Department and task force were sometimes portrayed as inept - a theme the defense continued to pound throughout both trials. Yet Koziol said he refuses to publicly take shots at the media or anyone who was critical.

"Dredging that up ends up trivializing the crime and what really went on in that restaurant," he said. "This has always been about those seven innocent souls and to use your energy on anything else isn't productive."

Again and again, Koziol and King expressed their gratitude to the victims' families, state's attorneys, state's attorneys investigators and the task force.

"They put their hearts and souls into this case just like we did," Koziol said. "Those poor people couldn't have had more capable advocates working on their behalf."

Chicago Bulls' Luol Deng has something to prove

That he's not the soft slacker some believe him to be after his injury last year

It would be hard to find many people who are looking forward to the  Bulls' opener Thursday night more than Luol Deng.

Deng was two things last year: much maligned and very much sidelined, the former having everything to do with the latter.

He was called soft. How much could a stress fracture hurt?

He was called selfish. Why wouldn't he suck it up and play?

He had to listen to that and more while he sat. And he had to read a Bulls press release that let everyone know "he will be encouraged to challenge himself physically, and if the symptoms remain minimal, he will be allowed an expeditious return to play."

Fans and media commended the Bulls for what looked to be their tough stand against a pampered athlete.

And what did Deng do? He took it. He could have spoken up, could have answered the critics, but he decided to wait quietly, bide his time and heal.

"There was no way I could have come out and said anything that would have changed anyone's mind until I play," he said Tuesday. "That's why I'm so excited for this season. I think it will shut a lot of people up."

It is not a reach to say that if Deng can get back to what he was two seasons ago, the Bulls will be very good this year. But it's a big "if," a Shaq-sized "if," and some of the Bulls are tiptoeing around the notion, not wanting to pin their hopes on it.

Others can't help themselves.

"We need him," guard Derrick Rose said.

The term "stress fracture" doesn't sound like much, and that probably added to the perception problem Deng faced last year. "Fractured leg" carries more weight and more sympathy.

"I couldn't play," he said. "I would have been stupid if I had said, 'You know what? I'm just going to lace them up and play.' I probably would have missed this year if I did.

"I was really close to having surgery for a fractured tibia, which in some cases is career-ending. But I didn't want to take the criticism personally. I tried to be smart about it, tried to be true to myself. I know how hard I worked for this game."

When you're wearing street clothes during the first year of a six-year, $71 million contract and when your team goes out and trades for John Salmons to play the same position you do, it doesn't make you Mr. Popular. Deng heard the grumbling among Bulls fans.

It's amazing how quickly public sentiment moves on. When Deng wasn't getting criticized for sitting last season, he was being left for dead. Salmons played well after being acquired from Sacramento, and suddenly Deng looked as necessary as wisdom teeth.

That was a long way from July 2008, when the Bulls gave him the long-term deal.

"Obviously we're incredibly happy to get Luol signed," then-general manager John Paxson said at the time. "It's the type of thing that gives him security and gives us the direction we're going to go here in the future."

But things change, and now Deng feels like he has to show everybody again. It's not a bad thing to have a few more logs thrown on the fire. His teammates see it. They named him one of three captains.

Now he just wants to stay healthy. It's not asking too much, is it?

"I'm a rhythm guy," he said. "I need my rhythm. When I start missing practices, it really affects my rhythm. Some guys are able to sit out practices and show up at game time. I really need to get my practice in."

In 2006-07, he played all 82 games and averaged a career-high 18.8 points and 7.1 rebounds. In the playoffs, his numbers increased to 22.2 and 8.7. He said he didn't miss a practice all season.

The next year, he missed 19 games to injuries. Last season, he missed 33 regular-season games, as well as the thrilling playoff series against the Celtics.

"I can't describe how hard it was to sit out and watch that playoff series," he said. "I don't think I'll ever erase that memory until I play again and enjoy it with the guys."

Deng's game is predicated on movement, which sounds obvious -- in basketball, you move, right? But he needs to be slashing to the basket or moving off a screen to hit jumpers.

The Spurs come to the United Center on Thursday night, and Deng will be there, slashing. And if the critics are slashing too?

"Those people don't know me personally," he said. "I just have to wait for the season. I'm really excited. I'm determined and I'm focused."

Joe Girardi feels 'blessed' to manage New York Yankees

In Joe Girardi's mind, that's where he will be standing Wednesday night when he exchanges lineup cards with the Phillies' Charlie Manuel.

Girardi will emerge from the first-base dugout shortly before the World Series opener, Yankee Stadium sure to be crackling with electricity after Alicia Keys sings the national anthem. He might feel like pinching himself, but nothing will interrupt his focus.

The Illinois native, a quarterback at Spalding Institute in Peoria, an industrial engineering graduate from Northwestern and an All-Star catcher with the Cubs, says he feels "blessed" managing the Yankees in the World Series.

He knows he's walking where few do, especially those with the Cubs, whose players he worshipped long ago. He had hoped to manage in Chicago, but Lou Piniella got the job that would have seemed to fit him well.

Instead of trying to help the Cubs end a drought that has reached 101 years, he has a chance to guide the Yankees to their 27th World Series title.

"I think of all the kids who have played Little League," Girardi said. "All the people who played in the big leagues. Being a Cub fan, understanding Ernie Banks, Billy Williams and Ron Santo never got to experience that, you realize how fortunate you are."

You don't get in Girardi's position by winning the lottery, however. He has spent most of his 45 years acquiring the experience that allows him to tell Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez what to do.

He's not afraid, either. Few managers ever have been as quick to push buttons in postseason games as Girardi over the last three weeks.

"The key for me is preparation," he said. "That's what helps me handle everything that comes my way."

Student of game Northwestern coach Paul Stevens was an assistant on Ron Wellman's staff during Girardi's tenure as an All-Big Ten catcher for the Wildcats. The Cubs took him in the fifth round of the 1986 amateur draft, more for his fielding and ability to run a game than his bat.

"He was the backbone of the team here," Stevens said. "Joe has always had a very good head for the game, and he was like a coach on the field. ... I've been around a lot of intelligent guys here, but Joe really stood out."

Girardi, who survived 15 years with four teams and won three World Series rings with the Yankees, graduated from Northwestern in four years. He may never use his engineering degree, but it honed his work habits.

"Joe has tremendous time-management skills," Stevens said. "He's a stickler for details, as organized as you can be, meticulous in his preparation and never misses a thing."

Success was elusive in his first managerial stop with the Marlins in 2006. Girardi kept a young, cheap team in wild-card contention before it faded to a fourth-place finish with a 78-84 record.

Clashes with the front office were frequent and increasingly volatile, and his dismissal was no surprise even as it coincided with his being named NL Manager of the Year.

Girardi felt he had been undermined and misled when the Marlins traded franchise cornerstones Josh Beckett and Mike Lovell to the Red Sox, shedding payroll after he had been hired. Bad blood between Girardi and the front office over the budget and the coaching staff, among other things, boiled over during an August game against the Dodgers.

Owner Jeffrey Loria was loudly questioning ball-and-strike calls from the stands when someone in the dugout shouted, "Shut the (expletive) up." Loria believed it was Girardi yelling and stormed into the manager's office afterward, intent on firing him.

One of Girardi's coaches was the culprit, but Loria still ordered the manager to apologize in front of the team.

"It was irretrievable after that," said Mike Berardino, who covered Girardi for the South Florida's Sun Sentinel.