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AgentOrange
04-21-2012, 05:21 PM
(just put this up on my blog read by mostly women I believe)

418



We got a little rain the last couple days which bring us to around 2.5" so far for for April. The average is near 5, but the yard is happy to have this and not complaining. The experts predict another Summer of drought. The lake is down nearly 8 foot and so a dry Summer will not be good.

I picked up some more anal plants this morning. I will get them in tomorrow. The garden has mostly gone to shade these days, so I have to buy for that. I got a couple plats of Coleus and a couple of Calidiums. I'll get more Inpatients later as the Violas are still looking too good to take out.

Bird watching is a lot different in Summer here. The trees fill out and they are harder to spot. My garden has a lot of trees and the place really seals off from the neighborhood. A new house is going up on the next lot, so I guess some I will be able to see neighbors in Summer.

Birds are still migrating. Most of my Winter flock has left except for a couple White-throat Sparrows. The Summer birds have not yet arrived, but I do see one now and then in route to Florida? In Winter the garden has about 50 times "more" birds. In Summer there are more "types" of birds. Spring and Fall bring in birds just stopping in for a day or two to fuel up and rest a little.

I feed the birds. In Winter, they eat a lot, but now the garden is full of fresh seeds, berries, and insects of all types. In Spring and Summer, it gets hard to give food away. Seed goes like crazy in Winter, but through Summer, not so much. Right now the Field Sparrows, Doves, and Cow Birds are coming in for it. The other birds nibble on it a little, but don't prefer it. Sunflower goes well all year, but even that is near stand still right now as the birds want the fresh insects. The price of Sunflower seed is about to put me out of the business. Today at Tractor Supply it was on sale for $24. I can't pay that. At Pets Mart it was $40.
Home made suet is not in demand on the deck right now, but in the bed room window, it goes like crazy.
I keep out a few peanuts for the Titmouse. I just put out a hand full of shelled and un-shelled and they are stealing the un-shelled ones which makes no sense to me. Peanuts grow in the ground. How would a bird even know they are food?

There are a lot of bird houses in the YardCrap garden and many are now occupied. The birds are hard to figure though. The Titmouse are in the Wood Duck box. Chickadees are in Blue Bird houses. The info as to what size hole to drill for what bird is ignored by them.
People tend to like Blue Birds. I have nothing against them but they kinda suck as a backyard bird. They don't come to feeders well, even to live meal worms. On average for the last ten years raised about 30+ per year. The best box is on the dock. Evey year 3 broods of 4 or 5 are raised there. It is a good, safe place for them.
In addition to the usual suspects in the bird houses, I always have a Screech Owl family and a Great-crested Flycatcher family. The many others like Cardinals prefer the Hollies and Cypress. The Carolina Wren is hard to predict. Every year they build in the strangest places. The Swallows build under the dock, and if I don't keep on top of it, under my pontoon boat. It takes the fun out of going fishing when you are harassed by parents as you ride off (kidnapping) their babies.

Right now a Blue Jay is making sounds like a hawk to clear the yard feeders. That is a beautiful bird and a born trouble maker.

Above is an addition I built onto my deck for music and bird watching. I know it ain't much, but I am old and hauling a 16 foot 4X4 up a tall ladder is tough, not to mention trying to keep it level as you get a nail in one end. Originally I just built the screen room you see below it. I was sitting in there a few years back and good beer told me I needed to be up in the trees. Now I am. I can't afford help, so me and Rosey did the best we could. I have an audiophile level system there now for the tunes and a small fridge for the beer. In all the world, it is my favorite place. That is true also for my Rosey, my beautiful Beagle.

TNRabbit R.I.P.
04-29-2012, 12:59 AM
"Anal plants"?? wtf....

Bet you've never seen a snoring hummingbird before:


http://www.wimp.com/snoringhummingbird/