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Attention Bird Gardening Enthusiasts
self | February 12, 2005 | sweetliberty

Posted on 02/12/2005 9:27:14 AM PST by sweetliberty

With Spring just around the corner, at least here in the southeast, it's time to think about spending more time outdoors and making our yards and porches more pleasant places to be. FReepers have such a wide variety of interests and talents, I thought it might be fun and educational to do a thread for bird and garden enthusiasts. I see a fair amount of discussion on some of the threads about gardening and landscaping, but not too much that is specific to gardening for the birds.

I've pretty much always had a bird feeder or two around, and that number has grown since I moved into a place last summer that has a big yard. I have a fair variety of birds and I have begun to think about developing it specifically to attract more species, not only for the enjoyment of watching the birds, but also to control natural pests that are prevalent in this part of the country, without resorting to pesticides. I know that the right combination of flora can discourage certain pests and also attract birds that will help keep the pest population down. I would love to hear from FReepers who are experienced at creating such a balance. I think it would also be fun to have a place to share our experiences as we develop them. I know there's lots of links out there with useful information and I make use of them from time to time, but it's just not the same as having discussions on a forum where we have experts on everything. And I don't know of any place else on the web so animated by wit, along with wisdom, on just about any topic.


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Gardening; Hobbies; Outdoors; Pets/Animals; Reference
KEYWORDS: attractingbirds; backyardbirds; birdfeeding; birdgardens; birdwatching; gardening; insectcontrol; naturalpestcontrol
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To: Petronski

Hahahaha.
That's FUNNY too,
but I like yours much better.
I actually doubled over in laughter.


541 posted on 02/27/2005 10:27:54 AM PST by onyx (Henry Kissinger: Asked if SoS Rice calls him, replied, "no never, she doesn't need advice.")
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To: PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain

I get pinged on the saddle club thread, but I'm afraid I would find it depressing. I love to ride. I don't have a horse right now, but I do have access to horses and could ride pretty much whenever I wanted to, but I have precious little time to do it. There's only so many hours in a day and my job is pretty consuming. Truth is, when I'm not working, I seldom feel like doing much of anything.


542 posted on 02/27/2005 10:27:57 AM PST by sweetliberty ("To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it.")
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To: GodBlessUSA

Forgot to ping you to my #538. Sorry.


543 posted on 02/27/2005 10:28:08 AM PST by Petronski (Zebras: Free Range Bar Codes of the Serengeti)
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To: GodBlessUSA

THANKS...

I'VE BEEN WATCHING THE EAGLES STARTING TO NEST IN SEATTLE.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/wildwatch/eaglecam/


544 posted on 02/27/2005 10:28:27 AM PST by Conservababe
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To: onyx
I actually doubled over in laughter.

;O)

545 posted on 02/27/2005 10:28:57 AM PST by Petronski (Zebras: Free Range Bar Codes of the Serengeti)
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To: MamaTexan
My daughter is too. One evening she was screaming about a bug. We ran up there and IT was a moth. LOL. Forget about it if it's the real thing.
546 posted on 02/27/2005 10:29:17 AM PST by GodBlessUSA (No, just because my user-name was on that thread-I'm not a troll. 4 years of posting and 1+lurking.)
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To: MamaTexan
POOR Becky! baby! (sorry, Conservababe)

But the sentiment's still there.

547 posted on 02/27/2005 10:30:26 AM PST by MamaTexan (Forgive me fellow FReepers....for I have dial-up!)
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To: PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain; GodBlessUSA

When posting pictures, it's better to specify only the height or width, not both. That way, the browser will automatically scale the picture, keeping its same proportion. With both numbers, any typo will produce a stretched or distorted picture.


548 posted on 02/27/2005 10:31:39 AM PST by Petronski (Zebras: Free Range Bar Codes of the Serengeti)
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To: proudofthesouth; MEG33

The birds will find the feeder.
Do you have trees nearby?

Meg, the water is a great idea,
but standing water (even in a dog dish)
causes all kinds of mosquito problems in
the South (well at least in my Mississippi yard).


549 posted on 02/27/2005 10:32:16 AM PST by onyx (Henry Kissinger: Asked if SoS Rice calls him, replied, "no never, she doesn't need advice.")
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To: sweetliberty
Sorry!

#534 was for you.

Think I'll go outside for a bit. Hubby's building bird-feeders out in the workshop!

550 posted on 02/27/2005 10:33:18 AM PST by MamaTexan (Forgive me fellow FReepers....for I have dial-up!)
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To: Conservababe
Thanks for that link! These are incredible video. We'll be watching more. I'm watching with my 7 year old. She's amazed. We love seeing the nesting cams but these shots are awesome!
551 posted on 02/27/2005 10:34:48 AM PST by GodBlessUSA (No, just because my user-name was on that thread-I'm not a troll. 4 years of posting and 1+lurking.)
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To: Petronski
The poor thing kept trying to run away.

ROFLMAO!

Bring out your dead!

552 posted on 02/27/2005 10:34:58 AM PST by MamaTexan (Forgive me fellow FReepers....for I have dial-up!)
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To: onyx

Not if you change it everyday...and I know about mosquitos..big time. I put diluted bleach in scrubbed saucers , wash thoroughly and then let them air out a week while using a freshly cleaned one if mildew grows. An old scrub brush helps clean gunk if it grows.


553 posted on 02/27/2005 10:37:48 AM PST by MEG33 (GOD BLESS OUR ARMED FORCES)
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To: Petronski
Thanks, that should make it easier! I'm cropping some of them down but sometimes that ruins the shot. Plus even with cropping some shots are too big. I'll figure this out yet!
554 posted on 02/27/2005 10:37:55 AM PST by GodBlessUSA (No, just because my user-name was on that thread-I'm not a troll. 4 years of posting and 1+lurking.)
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To: onyx
"The thought of a little bird crashing into the window worried me."

I know. That happens from time to time. I really need to put something up to deter them.

555 posted on 02/27/2005 10:38:51 AM PST by sweetliberty ("To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it.")
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To: onyx

I love the Cardinals, too and have a lot of them. That's the point I will start getting annoyed with other birds if they start bullying the Cardinals.


556 posted on 02/27/2005 10:40:01 AM PST by sweetliberty ("To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it.")
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To: GodBlessUSA

Wonderful picture...and the size is perfect.


557 posted on 02/27/2005 10:41:51 AM PST by sweetliberty ("To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it.")
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To: GodBlessUSA; MamaTexan

I thought I was bad about spiders, but my daughter is ridiculous. If she sees a spider in her house and there's no one there, she will call someone to come over and deal with it!


558 posted on 02/27/2005 10:44:00 AM PST by sweetliberty ("To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it.")
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To: MEG33
I think that's what the neighbors do.
I'm always firing up the outdoor fogger,
so I'm content to let the birds feed in
my yard and drink in hers...lol.

Do you know which vitamin helps ward off
mosquitoes? B6 or B12, I think. I'm in
serious need of additional measures besides
repellents which I lather on myself.
559 posted on 02/27/2005 10:44:35 AM PST by onyx (Henry Kissinger: Asked if SoS Rice calls him, replied, "no never, she doesn't need advice.")
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To: GodBlessUSA

LOL...well I don't blame her for screaming about a moth. I had one fly right into my ear one day out riding. Landed up in the ER to get it taken out. It was right up against my eardrum, still flapping it's wings. I swear I've never had anything make me as crazy as that did. It didn't really hurt, but I was getting very panaicky, and had to really get nasty with the doctor to get that thing out. She was afraid if she tried to pull it out with tweezers it would fall apart. I said I don't care at this point if it falls apart, at least it won't be flapping:). When she finally did pull it out it was STILL flapping:)

Becky


560 posted on 02/27/2005 10:44:41 AM PST by PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain (aka: Horselifter, Mackdaddy:)
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