It’s Time to Get Your Bird Bath Ready for Winter

The Backyard Naturalist's deck-mounted, heated bird bath attracts a crowd of Robins on a snowy day.

Wild Birds, Winter and Water

Wild birds need water all year round for drinking and bathing — especially in winter. Is your bird bath ready for winter weather?

Shop Small

Please support your favorite small businesses with your patronage this holiday season. (And throughout the year, too!)


Shopping local, small businesses in your own backyard, benefits your entire community.


Area’s Best Rocks & Mineral Selection

Rock, Mineral & Crystal Specimens and Fossils . . . we have the area's best selection outside the Smithsonian Gift Shop!
And we've just added more.

For Local Sports Fans

Redskins, Ravens, Capitals, Nationals and Orioles!!! We have officially licensed flags, mini-flags and doormats.

Come Meet Carl and All His Friends! Saturday 12-4pm

Introducing our friend Carl, a young Barred Owl.

Carl will be here, along with other Owls, Hawks & Falcons from Adventures with Raptors, to help us celebrate 30 years of The Backyard Naturalist. Bring your family to spend a special afternoon with these amazing animals and enjoy refreshments.

This Saturday, noon until 4pm.

About The Backyard Naturalist

The Backyard Naturalist is the area's largest and oldest independent retailer of products for wild birds and gifts for nature lovers of all ages! Proudly serving Maryland and the Washington, DC metro area for thirty years.

We are Maryland's first and only store to be awarded Droll Yankees' Five Feather Platinum Premier dealer status.

We take care of our feathered friends’ needs year-round:

From The Backyard Blog

  • October is the peak of natural food sources for wild birds.Feeder activity is down! Where are my birds?
    ‘Where are my birds?” You’re not alone in asking this question! In the past few days, we’ve had numerous phone calls & questions in the store about a significant slowdown in feeder activity. Everyone is seeing fewer birds at their feeders right now. Don’t worry! It’s normal …
  • Honoring — and Healing — Our Veterans
    In honor of all our brave Veterans, our deepest thanks and appreciation for your service on this Veterans Day – and every day. We strongly believe in the healing power of birds and nature, and wanted to share this incredible story of service, bravery, healing, generosity of spirit – and …

The Backyard Blog Archive

‘Best Of’ Montgomery

Thank you for voting us ‘Best Of’
MoCo’s Best Gift Shop
Montgomery County, Maryland!!!

Visit Us or Call

The Backyard Naturalist
17910 Georgia Avenue
Olney MD 20832
See the map.

Contact Us:
(301) 924-0024

Email us at thebyn@gmail.com
but phone calls still work best!

Hours:
Mon-Sat 10-6 | Sun 12-5

Convenient free parking directly behind the store.

Flock with Us

View our YouTube channel See photos on Flickr

Or subscribe to our email updates:

Our emails are rare birds and fly in as seasonal reminders carrying noteworthy information. We promise their chicks will never hatch in your InBox.

Our mailing list NEVER migrates, so your info stays private.

Our Mission

For almost 30 years, we've had the same mission:
To inspire our community to appreciate and nurture the nature found in all our backyards by providing a sanctuary of food, water and shelter for wild birds.

Each of our backyard habitats contributes to the health and well-being of not only the individual visitors to our feeders and baths, but is also one more piece of habitat restored and connected to Migratory Flyways. As green space increasingly disappears due to development, our backyard micro habitats link together, backyard by backyard, across our county – our state – our country.

Your Backyard Habitat: Water