Archive for September, 2009
A Bird’s Eye View
When fall arrived, it came in like a lion. I know they say that about spring, but my goodness it turned cold quickly. We haven’t had our first frost yet, but I doubt it is too far away.
It had been a real treat to me this year to be able to enjoy so much of the fall migration. The bird watching binoculars have been getting a real work out. There is a very high hill behind my house that overlooks some wooded land and a creek. This afternoon, a huge flock of geese landed there and spent some time resting and flittling about the neighborhood, and just a little while ago they took off in their perfect v-formation.
Did you ever stop and wonder how they pick a leader, or who picks up the tail end, and why do they fly in a v-formation anyway? Guess I will have to look it up, and report back
Frost and Freezing Temps
Depending on where you live, there may be frost and freezing temperatures. Here in Eastern PA, it is cold, just not quite freezing yet. The low temperature predictions, did give me reason for pause though. My bird bath is concrete, and therefore will crack when water freezes in it.
There are several solutions. One is to put the concrete bird bath away and get a heated bird bath for the winter. The other I have written about before, is the water wiggler and there are a number of heaters that can be purchased to keep the water from freezing. No matter what you decide, you are to be saluted for caring enough to keep a good supply of clean water available for the birds in the colder seasons of the year.
Why & When To Serve Safflower Seeds
Safflower
Safflower seed is a great favorite of many birds, but it is the Cardinals favorite food. That is the main reason that I use it. It attracts the cardinals to the platform bird feeder, especially in the late fall and winter when their natural resources are not as plentiful.
Safflower seed in my experience, also lives up to the balance of its reputation. First, it is a high energy food, and a good source of energy for the birds. It is a high fat, high protein food. And it is a deterrent to squirrels as it is not desirable to them. It also attracts the more desirable songbirds and back yard visitors and is not favored by the less deisrables such as the starlings and grackles.
I only put safflower seed out from now - late September - through April. It is more pricy than some of the other seeds and in inclement whether I have a tendency to put less in the platform feeder more fequently instead of filling it to the brim. Doing this alleviates unnecessary spoilage.
Welcome Back, Purple Martins
With their violet-hued plumage and memorable courtship vocalizations, purple martins are a desirable bird to have frequenting one’s backyard. But the trait that really sets them apart from the other flyers in the animal kingdom has more to do with its habitat. Martins travel in large groups, and they spend much of the winter in the temperate climates of the Southern Hemisphere.
By setting up a few purple martin bird houses during the interim, you’ll be ready to greet them when spring arrives. Since martins live in large groups, their houses are built accordingly. The homes should be placed out in a yard by February at the latest to catch the first few groups of martins on their way back up north. With a bit of luck and persistence, you could be enjoying a bustling purple martin habitat in your own backyard.
Fall Fall Out
Well, the hour of migration is taking its toll. The finch bird feeder is full to the brim with nyger seed ( often referred to as thistle seed), and only requires a refill every couple of days instead of twice a day. Now that is some serious fall out, and the other bird feeders are less frequented as well.
The good news is, that by having all of the feeders full and welcoming and the suet feeders out and full, my back yard is a probable stop off point for the birds that are migrating south from farther north. In a few weeks, the yard will be filled with the snow birds and others that will be here all winter.
You Cannot Fly Too High
Lavendar In The Bird Bath
With all the rain we have had here in Eastern PA, fighting the algae in the bird bath has been a non-stop affair. I recently got a tip to help keep it at bay.
Get the bird bath nice and clean with water and a wire brush. Then when you refill it with fresh water, add a sprig of lavendar. I happen to have some lavendar in the perennial garden, so I cut a sprig and tossed it into my nice clean bird bath.
IT WORKS so I had to pass the tip on!
The Baby Wren Video
Watch the baby Wren decide whether he should stay or go. YouTube is awesome for this stuff!
BABY WREN - SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO?
Let it serve as a reminder as summer fades into fall,of the wondrous events of the spring and summer. A Wren bird house makes a wonderful gift for anyone. If they put it up now, it may be utilized during the cold months for roosting. And, in the spring rent it out to a fine family of wrens and what them raise their young.
The Wren is just a small brown bird, but they are quite entertaining and every acrobatic, and will usually stay very close to home.
Set The Table For Them
“To me, the garden is a doorway to other worlds; one of them, of course, is the world of birds. The garden is their dinner table, bursting with bugs and worms and succulent berries.”
Quote by Anne Raver
Set the table and enjoy the world of birds. The small effort required to open up this world to you and your family and neighbors is small, low in cost and the rewards are huge!
Plants with berries and fruits, suet feeders with high energy suet are just a couple of suggestions.
The Garden Predicament
I am quite a neatnick, and prefer that things be in order. I am a “just so” kind of gal, and at this time of year there is an internal struggle between me and the state of my garden.
The sunflowers, black-eyed susans and purple cone flowers have finished blooming and the untidy and unkept appearance is a difficult thing for me, and at the same time, they add a sparkle to my eye. Some of the spent blooms are now going to seed and it is so much fun to watch the finches jump from one flower to the next to pick out the seeds as they form. They are enjoying nature’s bounty.
As a result the little jungle will wait to be cut back. The fall is a wonderful time to watch the birds, most of them migrating now as they stop to rob the seeds from my dying flowers, take a bath in the bird bath and take flight toward their final destination.