I don’t even want to know how much I spend on birdseed. Moneywise, I’d probably come out better if I played the ponies instead of watching birds, but when I see my little flock of 11 snowbirds scratching around for old seeds, I go the shed and toss out a couple cups of millet, their favorite. I also keep peanuts for the blue jays, corn for the crows, hot pepper suet nuggets for the bluebirds (as … [Read more...]

  I have a fly-through bowl feeder just outside our den window, primarily to entertain Foster, our parakeet. Foster chirps and tweets and hops from bar to bar in her cage when the various birds fly in and out for a bit of seed. Something that got my attention, however, was that the house sparrows dominated other birds of that size, most notably my bluebirds. I didn’t realize how aggressive … [Read more...]

They must like to shop at Kroger’s. Otherwise, why do so many crows gather in flocks near Kroger’s. Sometimes every tree limb and light pole in the lot have crow claws clinging to them. I have noticed this phenomenon for the past several years. This morning, there must have been 100 or more crows chatting away about whatever crows chat about. But then, they break up into small groups – there is … [Read more...]

  I have discovered bluebird candy. Well, not actually candy, but my little blue feathered friends eat it like a bag of Tootsie Rolls and Reese’s Cups on a Halloween night. My daughter, Angelin, knowing that I love bluebirds, gave me a bag of Birdacious Bark Butter Bits for Christmas. At first skeptical, I put a cupful in my open end, glass bowl bird feeder and the blues were on it like … [Read more...]

Water is the number one need for backyard birds in the winter. Number Two? Suet. Suet is a Super-Food for birds. It takes a lot of energy to keep birds warm in the winter, when temperatures drop to frigid numbers. Suet is a high-fat food that can provide that extra energy. While pure suet is fat, commercial suet combines fats and food to add nutrition and appeal. You can make your own suet – … [Read more...]

For 11 months, our little house plant sits in the corner, biding its time. Then, at Christmas, it goes into full bloom. It is, after all, a Christmas Cactus. Except, our little plant gets excited when the Christmas lights go up, and Christmas music echoes throughout the house. Then he blooms prematurely, sometimes as early as Thanksgiving. This year, our plant held off till early December to … [Read more...]

  I try to use a wide variety of bird seed and foods to draw a wide variety of visitors to my yard. My staple is sunflower hearts, universally enjoyed by most all birds, especially bluebirds. I also toss out bits of cracked corn, millet, sunflower seeds, a little fruit, and some nuts. Titmice, chickadees, and blue jays enjoy nuts. My blue jays come and go. I’ll usually have a couple … [Read more...]

I don’t know if they are the same crows that have been hanging out behind my house for years, or a new trio, but I have and have had three crows to visit my yard for a number of years. I like crows. They keep the hawks at bay, they harass grackles and eat their young, and they don’t seem to bother our plantings. I enjoy feeding them bits of cracked corn and especially stale bread ends. We save … [Read more...]