Archive for the ‘Mesh Bird Feeders’ Category
True Or False
Actually it might just be wishful thinking, but as we approach the beginning of March, I start looking for signs. As I get older I look harder I think, so what I see can be so subtle.
The bradford pear trees are developing little buds on them. The Goldfinch is showing little tiny bits of yellow again, and I actually saw the color from a distance through my binoculars as he munched away on the mesh bird feeder. There was a robin in the snow and mulch under the weeping cherry tree which is also showing signs of some minute but visible growth.
And, a friend sent me the picture below, indicating that now that she can see the deer coming across the field, spring must be just around the corner.
A Bit Grateful
The cold let up a bit today, mainly because the winds died down. But, when it came to filling the bird feeders today, I was very grateful for the large capacity feeders, like the mesh bird feeder and the all weather feeder.
In this weather, if I can alleviate a trip out there or have a feeder or two that doesn’t need filling as often as the tube and thistles feeders, then yippee.
Not Feeling Guilty At All
I don’t usually do this. I always think I owe this blog a lot of time an energy. I give it lots of thought for sure.
Today I am going to be very short and sweet, and I am not going to feel guilty at all. I have a tendency to forget about this bird feeder. It’s probably because it is one of the most durable bird feeders on the market, easily cleaned, squirrel resistant, and holds a large amount of sunflower seed so it doesn’t need frequent refills. And, it collapses as flat as a pancake when you want to store it for a while.
So, because I often almost forget it, I thought I would pass the reasons why onto you. The mesh bird feeder by No-No is a great choice in bird feeders.
The Hobby Grows
Bird watching and bird feeding are growing hobbies, both here in Pennsylvania and natonwide. It is not only a popular hobby, it is also big business with Americans spending in excess of $2 billion a year on food and feeders for the birds. Yikes, that is about 5,000 tons of sunflower seed.
Close to 1/3 of the population of Pennsylvania admit to participating in bird feeding, and nationally more than 65 million people feed birds. Bird feeding can be as simple as tossing bread out on the lawn, or as involved as putting out feeders and foods, then learning to identify the birds that visit and recording them.
Bird feeding can be as simple as tossing bread out the kitchen window or as involved as placing various feeders and foods in your yard and recording what birds visit and what they eat.
The level of particioation you choose is totally up to you. When asked, the reasons people state for feeding the birds are prett much the same everywhere. They feed birds because they care about them and get enjoyment from watching them. For many, it is a form of entertainment and recreation and was to get close to Mother Nature and wild birds.
The best foods to choose to fill the bird feeders are suet and black oiled sunflower seeds. Here in Pennsylvania over $135 million is spent on foods, many of which end up fermenting on the ground because there are a lot of seeds in the commercial mixes that birds will not eat. The NO NO Sunflower seed basket pictured here is a great choice for a bird feeder. It is a mesh bird feeder that is resistant to squirells and holds a large amount of sunflower seeds so refills are less frequent.
My Feeder Popularity Test
The weatherman is predicting really bad things for the next 4 days. There are apparently two Nor-easters headed smack at us, and that means lots and lots of wind and rain. I decided that it would be a lot more fun to make sure all of my bird feeders are full this morning before the deluge of rain and wind hit us so up the hill I went.
I have been monitoring my feeders very carefully in an effort to see which one they really like the best. And, though this may vary with the different species who are around at other times of year versus now, the NO NO Lantern bird feeder filled with a sunflower and safflower seed mix is a hands down winner.
This mesh bird feeder is super for just so many reasons. It has a large seed capacity - holds 6 lbs. - which means less frequent fillings. The all metal structure makes them very resistant to squirrel damage. Birds love them! They are great for both perching and clinging birds because of the large feeding area. They are dishwasher safe, though they really don’t need much cleanings. It can feed 15 to 20 birds at one time and the tray on the bottom helps to attract even the shyest of birds.
I spend a lot of time studying the feeders that the birds really love and this one is one I will recommend to anyone who is wanting to attract birds and watch them in their back yard.
Life Should Be Fun
“I still get wildly enthusiastic about little things… I play with leaves. I skip down the street and run against the wind.”
Source:Leo Buscaglia The Fall of Freddie The Leaf, A Story of Life For All Ages
I found this quote in an inspirational newletter I receive every day from a friend in Canada. I couldn’t help but think ‘what a wonderful message’. The weekend is coming and what a great time of year to be outdoors, raking leaves and jumping in the piles of them or just frivously throwing them up in the air and watching them fall back to the ground.
I sometimes am looked at as a bit daffy especially when it comes to the birds and nature. I skipped up the hill to the mesh bird feeder this morning, diligently filled it with sunfower seeds and turned and skipped all the way back to the house. When I turned to look at my freshly filled bird feeder, it was already covered with happy, singing and chirping birds who were very grateful to me. I laughed out loud and as I did my neighbor stood wathcing me while he let his dog out and was just shaking his head.
Let the child out, play a little, go jump in a pile of leaves this weekend and celebrate the gift of life and the beauty that surrounds us. Be enthusiastic even wildly enthusiastic about some of the little things in life that are more than we ever need to sustain us.
Have a great weekend.
Unexpected Visitor
Every once in a while we will have a bird visit our backyard that neither my husband nor I recognize immediately. This morning one of these strangers was under the mesh bird feeder, where he hung out probably cleaning up some corn. Then he quietly moved over to underneath the seed tube feeder. We had plenty of time to get out the bird book and discover that our guest was a brown thrasher.
What fun! He is about the same size as a Robin, almost 12 inches. His beak is somewhat long and curved and his tail is very long. His back is brown or reddish brown, and his belly and throat are white streaked with brown. On each of his wings are 2 white bars. He was just different enough to be a welcome sight.
Our Brown Thrasher visitor was definitely out of his element, as he almost always prefers a thicket or heavy brush environment . His diet consists of insects, berries, nuts, seeds, earthworms and snails. We definitely can accommodate him in the seed and earthworm department. We had never seen a Brown Thraser. It would be lovely if he would come around more now that he has found us. We will have seeds and earthworms for him whenever he decides to pay us another visit.