Archive for the ‘Bird Baths’ Category
It Is Another Day
And another celebration of my many years on this earth. I love birthdays that go beyond the actual date. Yippee, it means 2 celebrations for me. And, it means more presents for me too.
So what did I get today, besides a great dinner at my favorite restaurant? My grandchildren pooled their funds and got me a new bird bath heater for my heated bird bath.
I am just so blessed to have friends and a loving family. Who could ever ask for more?
Just A Thought
“Words can never adequately convey the incredible impact of our attitudes toward life. The longer I live, the more convinced I become that life is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we respond to it.” Charles Swindoll, Author & Pastor
So, with that thought, choose to make it a joyful weekend. Take a walk in the park, the woods or just around the block. Fill all of you bird feeders and don’t forget to check the suet supply and the water in the heated bird bath.
Have an awesome weekend!
Levelling the Lopsided
It’s amazing to me what effect a few storms of rain and snow, and a few windy days can have on my gardens. Yesterday afternoon was a very lovely one for late January, so I wandered out with bird watching in mind, and then did anything but, until I spotted the line-up on the fence.
A close look at things let me see how lopsided things had gotten. The double shepherds hook that holds the meal worms and platform feeder was decidedly leaning, so that got straightened as did all the path lights, and then as I headed to the butterfly garden to freshen the water in the bird bath, I stopped in my tracks. The fence that is our neighbor’s and stands several feet above the garden because of the hilly terrain, was lined from one end to the other with birds. There was a combination of house finches, goldfinches, several doves, a couple of starlings and to totally amaze me a woodpecker. I stood and just stared at the line-up of my friends. Their feeders were full, the suet was there, and still they just sat. As I eased down the hill to get closer, they all flew away. I supposed I spooked them when I got too close.
So, I kept to my tasks and took the old water out of the bird bath and since it was lopsided and leaning like everything else, I leveled it before filling it with fresh water.
It was a nice taste of spring like weather which is about to come to an end in a day or so. There’s even snow in the long term forecast. So I guess it’s not just the outdoor ornaments and the bird bath that are lopsided - the weather is still topsy turvy too.
Feathers
Remember the other day when I listed a bunch of fun facts about birds? There are a lot more where they came from, but lets back track to one of them. Feathers.
The fact is that birds are the only animals that have feathers. And, they perform many tasks for our fine feathered friends. They use their tail feathers to steer them flight. The down feathers, are the softest and the ones that keep them warm. The wing feathers are crucial to being able to fly.
The colors of the feathers are effective in hiding them against prey and in attracting a mate in the spring. Birds just wouldn’t be birds without their feathers.
What prompted that little tid-bit of information you ask? I found a few feathers near the bird bath and a few more under the caged suet feeder. You see, there is some territorial fighting going on for the water, which is heated and the suet. They all love the suet.
Looking forward to a great weekend!
Did You Know
Peregrine Falcon
Birds have feathers, but not another living creature does
Do you sleep with one eye open? Many birds do. They do it so their predators cannot come toward them without being seen
When an Eagle strikes, the force is twice that of a bullet shot from a rifle
A male great bustard can weigh as much as 46 pounds. They can still fly and that makes them the largest of the flying birds
The fastest of the flying birds in the world is the peregrine falcon. They can reach speeds in excess of 200 miles per hour
The hawk has probably got the best eyesight. They have been known to spot a mouse in a field from a height of one mile
Hard-boiled ostrich eggs? Only if you have a couple of hours. It takes 2 hours of boiling them to get them to a hard-boiled state
Next time you are filling your bird feeders, or adding water to the heated bird bath, just remember a falcon could be needing a meal and a bath. It could be a treat!
Swinging On Ice
It is amazing how good 28 degrees felt to me today. The winds are down to next to nothing and the sun was shining brightly and it felt like a heat wave. Can’t wait until Thursday when it is supposed to go up to around 45 degrees. Yikes the bulbs will start sprouting soon if we aren’t careful- ok, I am kidding.
I simply must pass on a funny site that I will be missing when the temperatures start moderating to the above freezing points.
Our neighbors have a hanging bird bath that has been frozen solid for a few weeks now. While my heated bird bath gets a regular flow of visitors for a quick dip or drink, the hanging bird bath has completely different visitors. On a fairly regular basis I look out and see and number of birds (juncos, finches and doves) swinging back and forth on it. I have seen them roosting on wires, on tippy top branches, fences and numerous other places. Guess these guys are bored and just like the deversity of a nice swing on ice for a change.
Found Some Gratitude
What a day! I won’t get into it here. It was one of those horendous days that reminded me that all is not perfect in my world. I came home, closed my eyes and got the stress out by thinking of all I have to be grateful for.
I am so blessed. I am more blessed than the lovely bluebirds who frequently visit the heated bird bath and feast on the mealworms at the mealworm feeder.
Some of us take things for granted. I know I do. When was the last time I was hungry? There has never been a time when I didn’t know where my next meal was was coming from, or how I was going to pay for the gas I needed for my car, or where I was going to place my head and on what pillow. That doesn’t mean that money hasn’t been tight - it has as at times, even stressful. Today it was a blessing to me to meet some of those who don’t have some of those even very basic things like toothpaste, deodorant, toilet paper, clean clothes and a roof over their heads
What an eye-opening day!! Enjoy yours.
Dashing Through
Yes, a mad dash to the finish. I always put off a lot of the things that need to be done to the bitter end. After my many years on this earth, I have come to realized that I enjoy the hustle and bustle. It gives me spirit.
So, tomorrow will be one of my rare days off from posting to this blog. And, today, BirdEssentials.com and I want to thank all of you for your continued interest, support and patronage.
Wishing each and every one of you and joy filled, memorable and blessed Christmas and holiday season. Remember the reason for the season, and be blessed with the reason Jesus was born. May He be remembered the way He should be. And yes, I am thankful for the opportunity He has given us for eternal life.
Merry Christmas, Everyone!
Blowing In The Wind
Cold winds and bright sunshine were the theme of the day here is Pennsylvania. I wasn’t a great day to be outdoors for too long as the wind chill was mighty cold.
I went out early this morning and filled the platform bird feeder and filled the hanging bird bath with warm water. It doesn’t hold a huge amount of water and using warm water prevents it from freezing. About two hours later, the winds had picked up significantly, and when I looked out the hanging bird bath was blowing in the wind just as empty as could be. I had to laugh at the chickadees that were hanging on for dear life in the platform feeder and chomping away at the seeds. Go figure that out when they had any number of tube and hopper feeders to choose from instead that would have made life so much easier on them.
The First Major Frost
We have been seeing frost on the ground in the mornings off and on for the last few weekss. We haven’t seen any serious frost. You know, the stuff that makes the ground look likbe there was a snow shower. It as been gone shortly after sunrise. We really hadn’t seen any serious frost until last night. The outside temperature dipped to about 24 degrees, and at daybreak and well beyond the frost was shining bright on the grass, the roofs, and on any windshield that spent the night out too.
It was quite beautiful, and I was especially grateful that I had plugged in the heated bird bath. If you don’t have a heared bird bath and your bird bath is concrete it is time now to remove any water that may be in it and remove the dish so water cannot freeze and break it.