Posted on 03/05/2005 8:07:37 AM PST by sweetliberty
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As it turned out, the previous thread on this topic generated a lot of interest and several people recommended doing it as a regular thread, so here is the second installment.
How you go about creating a bird sanctuary in your yard, or outdoor space, will depend on a number of givens, some which can modified, and others over which you have no control. One of these is geographical location or climate zone. If you live in the Colorado Rockies, you are not going to attract Cardinals, no matter how many black oil sunflower seeds you put out, and if you're on a beach in Florida, it's a pretty safe bet that there will be no snow buntings visiting your yard, the cornucopia of insects notwithstanding. Of course, if global warming keeps encroaching on us, we may soon find Alaska overrun with Parrots and Flamingos, but, I digress.
Within any given area, there are a variety of habitats, so no matter what your specific location, it is possible to vastly increase the types and numbers of birds in your immediate environment by modifying your habitat to make it more bird friendly to a wider array of birds native to your region.
Another "given" is your available space. If you live in a cottage in the woods by a stream, you will obviously have a lot more options available to you than if you live in an urban apartment with nothing more than a small porch or balcony. Of course, I think the majority of us live somewhere between those extremes. The point is, even if you have nothing more than a porch, you can still make it bird friendly, thereby increasing your enjoyment of these highly entertaining creatures. If you don't even have so much as a porch, I would suggest moving!
The purpose of this thread is to share ideas for maximizing our outdoor spaces to make them appealing to birds and butterflies, to share our experiences and knowledge or expertise, photos and resources. The discussion is pretty free-flowing and may expand to include gardening, landscaping and related topics. The direction the thread takes will really be up to the FReepers who post on it. We can focus on a different topic every week or two, or just keep it open and casual, updating the thread periodically. The main thing is that we learn and have fun.
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I haven't seen the bluebirds in a couple of days. There is a pair; I'm sure of that now. I saw them both on the fence as I was pulling out for work the other morning. If I hadn't have been in such an all-fired hurry, I could have gotten a picture before I scared them away. I had my camera on the seat next to me.
One of my Downies has discovered that hummer food makes a nice treat. One of the hummers wasn't a bit impressed to return and discover this cow of a bird on his her feeder and dispatched him immediately, after which he went to another hummer feeder. This could get interesting.
What a terrible way to go! Wish I would have heard her.
Oops. I spoke too soon. Right after I made that last post, I went to the kitchen and looked out the window and the Bluebird was in the bath. LOL!
LOL! They are casing your house. I'm going to be worried if we don't hear from you tomorrow. Don't forget to check in or we will send for help. :)
Downy tried to have Hummer food? Interesting. Hummers are tough little bird, aren't they.;) They defend that food against all.
Oh, I hope you have juvenile Bluebirds. That would be fun. If you do, please get a picture for me. :).
That's great! They will be having a family soon!
Oh, I do feed them, but the little savages recently launched a new attack on my feeders and rendered one of them almost unusable without totally rethinking how to keep the bottom on it. It is one that has a tray with a snap lock bottom and they've discovered that if they work hard enough at it, they can get the tray to give way and ALL the food comes out on the ground, so unless I can make that one so that the tray won't come off at all, it is pretty useless, and it is the favorite feeder of the majority of the birds.
Tried nothing! He found that his beak was quite adequately suited for getting a drink from the feeders. And was rather enjoying himself, too, till that pesky giant bee upstart hummer sent him on his way.
Yes, the hummers are hysterical, and very tough for such a little bird. Not at all easily intimidated.
Oh, Thank You So Much! Bumping this for my morning read over coffee tomorrow. I'm in Heaven! :)
Global warming. < /sarcasm >
That's incredible. I hope Downy didn't get a sugar high. LOL! ;)
I may have an addict on my hands. LOL!
Remember..One's an accident, two is a coincidence, and three is a conspiracy.
But I guess as long as you don't see any squirrel sized walkie talkies, you should be okay!
:)
I could see him bouncing from feeder to feeder...
'Where's the sugar? where's the sugar?'
ROFL!
You have squirrels casing your house and planning an attack and Downy the "The Sugar Addict" LMBO! :)
Yes, my sanctuary is becoming an asylum. LOL!
i've tried firing my 12 guage through my wife's fancy pillows to deaden the sound some, but it still isn't enough to keep from scaring those chicadees away for days on end...
it seems forever before they come back to the feeder and i am using some quality seed i can tell you, nearly 1.75 a pound and hardly any empty shells in the mix...
i need help in finding the right mixture of cushion to pushin' so i can get more than one shot off a month on these critters, cause bagging enough for a decent meal is taking too long... that and my boy loves chickadee so much he can gobble up near 17 of 'em.... 12 if we stuff 'em with my famous green olive pate'...
any advice would be greatly appreciated.
teeman
T...you are evil! You nut. How ya been?
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