Early this summer, a lovely vine emerged from beneath our mailbox beside the road. It was a melon or squash of some type, and I assumed a squirrel had buried one of the seeds I regularly discard from melons or squash. The squirrels love them, but they bury a few and one of the rodents buried his seed at the edge of the road. The vine exploded in size and finally a fruit appeared. Then … [Read more...]
A Squirrel Deterrent: Guaranteed
Any time I see a product advertised as “squirrel proof” I have my doubts. These industrious pests spend their entire squirrelly lives trying to figure out ways to confound humans, and they generally succeed. Baffles on a pole can prevent squirrels from climbing up, but not from jumping down. Sometimes squirrels will take gigantic leaps from far away limbs or overhangs to land on top of a … [Read more...]
Bye, Bye Catbirds
Pack up all my cares and woe, here I go, winging low Bye, bye, catbirds Yep. Catbirds. They’ve skipped town. I feel used in a way. They show up in March, two pair every year. They sing beautiful songs, then camp out at my suet feeder and peck away at my C & S Peanut logs. They eat lots themselves and they especially enjoy feeding the rich suet to their young. With a … [Read more...]
Squirrel Plantings
Maybe I should let the squirrels plant my garden. They seem to do a better job. Every spring, stuff pops up in our yard and garden beds that we didn’t plant. We find dozens of baby sunflower plants and if I didn’t mow my grass, my backyard would be a cornfield. If I toss out a hundred corn kernels for the squirrels, they will eat 10 and bury 90. One year we had a mysterious plant in one … [Read more...]
Attracting Amphibians and Reptiles to Your Yard
Why? Why would anyone want to attract amphibians such as frogs and lizards or reptiles such as snakes and turtles to their yard? Simple. Because these critters eat tons of insects and rodents. According to Virginia’s DNR, amphibians and reptiles are a vital part of the natural world, but urban development and landscaping have caused their habitats to be lost or degraded. By making … [Read more...]
A Good Catbird Scolding
My wife Nancy got balled out this week. Not by me, of course. I’ve got better sense. But she did receive quite a scolding from one of our resident catbirds. Nancy was trimming an azalea bush and must have gotten a little too close to one of Mrs. Catbird’s babies. The catbird really let her have it. I’ve only had catbirds visit our yard for the last 7 or 8 years, but now they’re … [Read more...]
Gone: Finally!
The plague on my yard is gone. The grackles have finally flown the coop. They arrived back in March this year, earlier than ever. And they came in droves – 20, 30, 40. Then they thinned down to a couple of dozen and ate most every speck of decent bird food I put out. I hate ‘em, and I can’t afford to feed my backyard friends and them, too. I would put out a $4 bar of peanut suet and they … [Read more...]
Our First Hummers
It seems our hummingbirds show up later and later each summer. We used to have a few flitting around our sugar feeders in May, sometimes April. But in recent years, they arrive later. In this case, almost July. We saw one this week. I had seen one across town the week before. Other birders have told me they are just starting to show up. You can understand how the little fellows … [Read more...]
With Bluebirds, You Never Know
Just when I think I have the little guys figured out, they throw me a curveball. My backyard buddies were fairly predictable this spring. After poking around in various available houses, they chose the new house I had installed on a short pole with an aluminum baffle. They were a tad late getting on the nest – around April 10, but things went well. The three chicks fledged in a couple … [Read more...]
The Best Buy in Birdseed
It is estimated that Americans spend over $41 billion (with a “b”) dollars each year on birding, and I do my share to keep keeping that lofty number in the stratosphere. I spend a ton for birdseed, bird feeders, and birding supplies. But it’s a hobby, sort of, that I truly enjoy. Nonetheless, it’s important to get the most for your money and in my book, the absolute best value in … [Read more...]
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