Archive for the ‘Hopper Feeders’ Category
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!!
Hopper Is Popular
It almost felt like a heat wave today. It went all the way up to 28, and the winds weren’t as bad a they have been. I know that there are many other areas of the country that are a whole lot colder than we are. It’s just that it is cold for here.
This is a quick one as I do have to scurry, but just had to report on the popluarity of the hopper feeder I hung yesterday. Despite the cold and wind it invited a flurry of activity from our fine feathered friends.
Hope you are having a great day!
Simply Maintaining
Time really does fly. Just like the birds, another 24 hours has flown by, and in that short span of time, the temperature has dropped into the 20’s with some mean winds that make it feel a whole lot colder. Something promted me to put the binoculars around my neck before I trudged out to the bird feeders today, and I was treated to the circling of a red-tail hawk over the meadow above my yard.
I was surprised at how much nyger seed was needed to fill the finch feeders. That means that the finches and chickadees have settled in for the winter. The nyger is a high source of energy for our feathered friends, especially finches. And, as usual, the hopper feeder needed a refill.
Tomorrow at this time there will be a couple of special guests here. I do hope you will understand if I am not here for very long, if at all!!
Have a wonderful weekend
A Poem to Ponder
Soar to great heights
I believe with my whole heart, body and soul that this poem can change lives. I have seen it first hand. I can attest that the more I give, the more I recieve. Even with the simple matter of feeding the birds. I am constantly rewarded with more birds and new and different species. And, every time I have to buy more seed for the hopper feeder, which is my largest capacity feeder, I try to keep that fact in mind.
All of have something to give. Try a simple smile, go visit an elderly friend, pick up the phone and call a sick friend, walk with and elderly man across the street - he feels terrible being out there all alone. You don’t have to buy a thing. Just greet every day with a smile and send a happy smile and friendly greeting to every one you see. You’ll be better off for it and so will they.
Enjoy the poem, and the rest of the weekend.
Living is giving your best self away,
Living is helping someone every day;
Living is giving more than you get,
It’s treating an animal like a person, instead of a pet.
It’s helping the handicapped across the street,
It’s smiling at the new person at work that you meet;
It’s respect for all nations, color and creeds,
It’s sharing and caring for your neighbor’s needs
One of God’s greatest laws you can live and believe,
Is the more that you give, the more you’ll receive!
~Denis Waitley~
One Of My Quiet Spaces
What a great reaction I have had from so many here and by email for Nick’s article. You haven’t heard the last of Nick, and I am still hoping you will sign up for his Beautiful Summer Morning Newsletter.
Today was one of those perfect fall days, and I just had to get outside a bit and take care of a few things. If you will recall, I told you in a previous writing that my hummingbird feeders will remain out until mid November to afford me the opportunity to spot a rufous hummingbird migrating through, so the nectar needed to be changed, and the bird bath needed a cleaning. I am always amazed at how much I can find to do when I am in my garden. It is one of those places where time stands still and I never feel tired or angry or aggravated. I only feel warmth and gratitude.
It won’t be long before I will be taking the hummingbird feeders down and replacing them with a platform feeder and a hopper bird feeder, and putting the water wiggler into the bird bath to keep it from freezing. In the meantime, I look for every excuse I can find to get out and work in the garden and ready it for the cold months of winter.
Away With The Terrorists
Much as I love my bird watching hobby, I must admit it has its challenging moments. There are some days when the terrorists eat me out of house and home. Well, not literally, as I have found some solutions.
Who are the terrorists? They are the house sparrows, crows, black birds, grackles,and even sometimes starlings and pigeons. They just barge in and terrorize the pretty songbirds away and eat everything they can get to in a few short minutes.
Now, over the course of the years, I have watched it happen over and over and I am fairlly well protected, but for some reason I still insist on putting out a tube bird feeder that is unprotected and filled with a mix of seeds and sunflower seeds.
Here is what works and keeps the terrorists out. A caged bird feeder is a sure way of keeping them away. You can fill a caged bird feeder with anything you want and the cage around the tube only allows the small birds and pretty songbirds in to feed. NO TERRORISTS THERE! My caged feeders are filled with black oil sunflower seeds and a seed mix laced with fruits.
The Hopper bird feeder is usually filled with Safflower seed. The Cardinals, Nuthatches and Chickadees love it, and the the terrorists don’t and so they really do not bother that either.
There are 2 tube bird feeders out there that have nothing but nyjer seed in them and I will assure you that all of the Finches adore them and they are never scared away. And then there are the two uncaged and a perfect invitation to the terrorists.
So tomorrow I will be removing the two feeders from the yard that invite the terrorists - or I will fell them with one of the foods that will not be an open invitation for them to come around.