Archive for the ‘Bird Feeders’ Category
OK, I Am Jealous
I don’t usually get especially jealous. It isn’t in my nature. But, after a Lenten Service at our church tonight, my hubby and I got to chatting with a friend who is almost as into bird watching as I am. He recently had me pick up some suet for him at the store.
It was obvious that he was thrilled with the suet that he now has hanging in suet feeders in his yard. He was just so excited about the birds that found it so very quickly especially the cardinals. He lives in a home that is backed right up to the woods and he vividly described the spots of red in his pine trees having counted up to 18 males and females taking turns at the suet feeder.
I get cardinals, 2 and even 4 at a time. But not having a wooded yard behind us, I have never seen pine trees decorated with the red forms of cardinals all at the same time. Now you know why I am so jealous! Don’t worry, I’ll get over it.
His Eye Is On The Sparrow
Happy Sunday, everyone! What a glorious day. It sure beat out the dark and dismal cold and snowy days of our previous weekends. So, what’s with the title, you ask? It is one of my favorite hymns, and it has been running through my head since church this morning.
“I sing because I’m happy; I sing because I’m free. For His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me.” You see I am always looking for how God wants to use me to bring more to his saving grace and to make a difference in someone’s life. I don’t believe in coincidences, so when I have a wonderful and positive encounter with a stranger, I know that God is using me. I know that if we keep trusting in him and singing His songs, others will catch on.
If you ever have a moment when you feel like GOD can’t use YOU, just remember that Noah was a drunk, Abraham was too old, Isaac was a daydreamer, Jacob was a liar, Leah was ugly, Joseph was abused, Moses stuttered, Gideon was afraid, Sampson had long hair and was a womanizer, Rahab was prostitute, Job went bankrupt, Peter denied Crist, the Disciples fell asleep while praying, and Lazarus was dead! So, no more excuses; God will use you to your full potential if you let him. Afterall, you are not the message, just the messenger.
I am a birdwatcher, a birder, whatever the term should be. I sing because I am a happy birdwatcher when the sparrows are singing at the bird feeders in my backyard. God Bless!
Just Browsing
Passing pleasantries with lots of browsing customers came easy today. It was the first weekend day in ages that we have had totally blue skies not to mention the upper 55 + degrees of wonderful warmth. The store was bustling most of the day with people who mostly just wanted to be out and about. Few of them were on a mission and an even smaller few were attempting to get what they needed to finish a project.
The best part of days like this is getting acquainted with the customers, and of course the best of those for me are those who are browsing through the bird feeders, bird houses and many varieties of food and seed and nuts. One of my customers just couldn’t stop complaining about the squirrels. He was truly frustrated and was asking for advice. I have a couple of favorites squirrel proof feeders, but he finally purchased the one above which is among the most affective of them This one has a 2 lb food capacity and operates on the weight factor. When the squirrel jumps on it, his weight closes the feeding door.
I hope my customer is happy with his new feeder. I wouldn’t have recommended it if I didn’t believe in it. Hope you are having and sunny and wonderful weekend.
Definite Signs
It was a sunny morning, and I actually had a few more minutes than usual to watch as the birds came and went for thier morning meal. At first it was just another day, and then all of a sudden I realized that the Goldfinches were here in mass and actually starting to show signs of their golden feathers.
There was a cowbird staring at me as he sat proudly in the platform feeder, and the mealworm feeder was becoming very quickly in need of a refill as the bluebirds swooped down to fetch them .
The first red-winged blackbird that I have seen in some time sat at the heated bird bath and drank before jumping in for a bath.
All of this took place in a matter of a few minutes and I felt the excitement growing as I saw these very definite signs of the dawn of spring. It is March after all and even though it is snowing as I write this, spring is all a flutter at the feeders.
Are You Ready
I don’t know about you, but I am sick of snow, cold, wind, sloppy streets, mud, dirty cars and everything that is part of winter. I am tired of the dark mornings and the early dark evenings. I am more than ready for spring.
I am anxious to take my overhauled wren’s nest out and get it hung. I am eager for the hummingbirds and the hummingbird feeder. The hummer helper nesting material is all ready to put out. It’s time for flowers and green grass, and spring smells and the warmth of the spring sun. I am ready - but we have 21 days to go before spring actually arrives. Worse yet, there is more snow predicted for later this week, not once, but twice.
Maybe the daffodils will just pop right up through the snow and nod their yellow heads.
Sunday Blessings
For some reason I just cannot get the whole graphic in here, but the bottom says, “God Bless.” And I mean that. God Bless you and yours
It actually got up into the mid 40’s today. Before we ate dinner tonight, my husband accompanied me to the back yard where we replaced the old finch feeder with the new one and filled it with fresh nyger seed. I replaced the suet in the suet feeder, put water in the bird bath.
The mealworm feeder was empty, and while I refilled it, kept wondering where the bluebirds have been lately. I haven’t seen them in a while. While we ate dinner, my husband and I enjoyed watching a downey woodpecker at the new suet cake. I actually think my husband is catching my “bird watching itis.” Oh goody!
I was blessed with a great Sunday and I hope you were as well.
I Love Birthdays
I especially like them when they are mine. Everyone knows exactly what to get me. Today was my birthday and feel like the Queen for the Day. I have a brand new bird house, and a brand new bird feeder.
I can’t wait for the spring thaw so my husband can mount the bluebird house. The feeder is got is one I have been wanting for a long time. It is a NO-NO (brand name) finch feeder like the one in the picture. I can’t wait to fill it and get it hung where I can watch the Goldfinches, purple finches and house finches.
What a great day, and we are celebrating it tomorrow. Who knows what tomorrow may bring.
Had To Laugh At This
“There is nothing in which the birds differ more from man than the way in which they can build and yet leave a landscape as it was before.” - Robert Lynd
Why did I have to laugh, you ask? The birds aren’t doing much building right now - not yet, but they are being very enterprising. It has been snowing here all day, and they have been digging dilligently all day at the window bird feeder to remove the snow and at the platform feeder to get down under the snow to get to their food.
Seems, that once they find their food source, they just keep on coming back. However, I will not agree on this day that they have left the landscape as it was - just not so at all!
Spread Your Wings
“He who has imagination without learning, has wings and no feet.” Joseph Joubert
Imagination: Webster defines it as, “the act or power of forming a mental image of something not present to the senses or never before wholly perceived in reality; creative ability and the creation of the mind”.
I have used the quote and the definition before because I think it is imperative that we all allow the God-given creativity to run rampid. Did you ever let your imagination go a little wild - let the creative juices flow? I think we all have. It’s when we have the vision and don’t follow through that we crash and burn. The wings spread wide, we take off, and then at the first sign of turbulence come tumbling down.
We have a couple of choices after the crash. I choose to pick myself off, brush myself off and spread those wings again, taking with me the lessons learned from the previous failures. The alternative, well, I won’t even go there right now, as I am imagining a week filled with challenges and new beginnings, a wonderful walk in the woods with my binoculars, a trip to the ice rink with my grandchildren where I will see some bird species that don’t regularly visit my hopper bird feeder, and a glorious day on Thursday and Friday even though there is a snow storm in the forecast- spread those wings!!
We’re Taking a Tour
What a beautiful Sunday. The temperatures were well into the 40’s, and lots of snow melted away. Needless to say, I had to get out and enjoy the warm air, the afternoon rays that were actually warm. I took a tour of the yard for the first time since our huge snow storms. At some points, I was still calf deep in snow, but I did it anyway.
Come on, take a walk with me. You won’t get tired as we have to stop and be very still and quiet from time to time so we can identify the visitors along the way. We’ll only do part of it today and finish it later.
It all starts at the back door where the bluebirds visit the mealworm feeder but wouldn’t be caught while we are here. Right next to it is the platform feeder. The cardinals, doves, finches and others empty it every day. This morning there was a blue jay happily sitting there. They don’t like it when it’s windy, but today the air was still. The blue jay is a member of the crow family and his bold and gregarious nature actually scares the other birds away so I don’t get too excited when I see him.
After we pass the heated bird bath, it’s time to stop and rest and watch so we don’t disturb the two downy woodpeckers - one on each of my two caged suet feeders. And right next to them is a finch feeder which is full of niger seed, but no visitors at the moment. On the tree practically upside down is a nuthatch patiently awaiting his turn at the suet while pecking away at the tree trunk where he probably has some niblets stored in the bark. OK, rest time is over and up the hill we trudge to the caged bird feeder and mesh bird feeder. Let’s rest now, and we’ll complete the walk another day. Below is a nuthatch and a downy woodpecker.
