Garden for Birds #4

I would like to know.....................

WHO STOLE SUMMER?????????????/

What did you do with it?

And where are you hiding it?

It seems as though just last week we were celebrating the beginning of summer.

Looking forward to our yards and gardens.

Planning vacations.

Now, parents are celebrating "BACK TO SCHOOL!"

That could mean more time in our yards and enjoying the fruits of our labor, however.

Enjoying our backyard guests.

We've seen visitors come and go.

And all the feathered families we helped raise.

Now it's time to think of visitors heading south.

Keep your feeders cleaned and filled.

Very important is a source of fresh water.

Quite often a stranger will stop for a drink and you may be fortunate enough to see your guests.

You may want to keep a camera handy.

It's getting time to think about fall projects in our yards.

It's time to let annuals go to seed and let some perennials go as well.

Say................ do you have any grasses in your yard?

I'm not referring to the grass you mow, or the stuff "Cheech and Chong" made so popular either.

I'm talking about ornamental grasses.

Ornamental grasses for your birds.

No,I haven't flipped my lid.

Grasses are becoming more popular in landscaping, yet have you

thought of the possibilities for wildlife?

For birds?

Grasses come in many varieties from only a couple inches tall to 15 feet and taller.

They come with names like "Little Bunny" and "Giganteus"

"Flamingo" and " Little Zebra"

How about "Karley Rose" or "Karl Forrester"

Names are as unique as the grasses are.

Grasses can work as a ground cover, erosion control, a wind brake and look good while doing it.

Ornamental grass can make up a border, a barrier or become a focal point in your yard.

Grasses can also help feed and shelter birds.

This time of year, most grasses are flowering or have showy plumes.

Many of these plumes produce seeds for birds to munch on.

Foliage left up for the winter months provide wind brakes and protection from harsh winter winds

Birds may also make a mad dash to flee a predator.

Not to mention that the dry foliage and plumes can give depth and motion to an otherwise drab landscape.

In spring, birds will be using bits and pieces for their nests.

Cut back your grasses 2 to 4 inches from the ground before new growth starts.

Most grasses are hardy to zone 5 and many are hardy to zone 4

There are a few hardy to zone 3.

Once established, ornamental grass needs little care.

Grasses come in about every shade of green there is.

You can find shades of blue.

Grasses with shades of yellow

There are grasses with shades of red.

Grasses with horizontal stripes and some with vertical stripes.

Some varieties are drought tolerant.

Others may prefer moist conditions.

Most prefer sunny locations, while a few prefer shade.

The fact is, there will be a grass for your location.

You can even get annual grasses.

There are so many varieties to choose from I can't go through them all.

Check with your local garden center or nursery.

Have them recommend what is good for your yard.

Or, do some homework and see what you may prefer instead.

I have 6 varieties of grasses and I'm sure the collection will continue to grow as I find and make room for them.

You are sure to be hooked on grasses when you see a bird hanging onto a stalk and dancing in the wind.

An added bonus, grasses are deer resistant.

Check out the yards around you.

Hit the local garden centers and nurseries.

I'm sure you can find a grass for your yard.

Remember, fall is the best time to plant.

Well friend, it is time to get this letter sent out so I best get going.

Do have a blessed week and continue to smile.

Until next time.

Your friend,

Ron

http://www.backyardbirdingtips.com/

Ron Patterson has been caring for wild birds since he was 10 years old. He has discovered many things along the way.

An avid gardener as well, Ron is a Michigan Certified Nurseryman.

With his expertise in birds and gardens, he writes a weekly newsletter called "Backyard Birding Tips"

Choosing Bird Seed or Bird Food (Part 3)

Corn: cracked, shelled, whole

If you are a bird feeder on a budget or if you are feeding hoards of birds feeding corn is one way to keep your birds happy.

Whole ears of corn offered on spike feeders or on hangers will make the woodpeckers and squirrels very happy. It's great fun to watch a squirrel trying to figure out a revolving corn wheel. Place your squirrel feeders as far as possible from your other bird feeders.

Shelled corn in hopper bird feeder or hanging tray feeders will attract cardinals, jays, ravens, crows, and grosbeaks.

Cracked corn in ground feeder trays will attract quails, grouse, pheasants, ducks, dove, starlings blackbirds, house sparrows and cowbirds.

Corn has a couple of serious problems: First, it is the bird food that has the highest risk of becoming contaminated with aflatoxins, which is harmful to birds. Second, it is a favorite of bears, raccoons, and deer-none of which we need to be feeding.

To decrease the chance of contamination don't buy corn in plastic bags, do not let it get wet (I keep mine in metal trash cans and only keep 50 pounds on hand), and in very humid or wet weather only put out what will be eaten in a day. Make sure you clean up the old corn and dispose of it, the compost pile is a good place.

It is best to have all of your corn feeders away from your other bird feeders so the less aggressive birds will not be scared off. If you can, separate them with a screen of shrubs or trees.

Never use any corn that has any type of die on it because it is probably a poison. Do not feed any popped corn it spoils too easily.

If you have a snow or an ice storm cracked corn is a good way to feed a lot of birds quickly. Feed smaller amounts several times during the day to reduce waste and spoilage.

Suet

Suet is now considered to be most kinds of beef fat and is safe to feed to birds. Suet is very attractive to insect eating birds, including woodpeckers, jays, nuthatches, chickadees, and starlings. Occasionally cardinals, wrens, thrashers, kinglets, creepers, and even some warblers will visit suet feeders. Suet is a high calorie energy source, that is easy for many birds to digest and metabolize, and is very important to birds in cold weather.

Raw suet goes bad quickly when the temperature is above freezing for any extended time. It is recommended tat you use rendered suet, which has been melted and has had the impurities removed. rendered suet can still get soft in the summer and coat the belly feathers of birds. If the bird is nesting the suet can clog the pores of the eggs preventing the embryo from getting enough oxygen.

Most of the suet cakes you can buy have a mixture of corn meal, cracked corn, peanuts, fruits or dried insects. Corn and peanuts can provide a medium for bacteria growth. Therefore, you may want to make your own suet cakes or make sure you are buying a high quality product. Always check the contents and the expiration date. I keep my suet cakes in the refrigerator until I use them.

I use several types of suet feeders including upside down feeders and combination suet/tray feeders.

I hope this article will help you in choosing bird food/seed and let you know what birds you; can expect to attract.

We are the owner of http://www.thebirdfeedingstation.com. The bird feeding station is your online source for feeding stations, including cardinal feeders, finch feeders, suet feeders, squirrel proof feeders, garden bird baths, optics for bird watching, and handcrafted bird houses.

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Keeping the Deer Out of Your Yard or Garden

What lovely, gentle creatures are deer, leaping though the forest, munching grass in the clearings...pulling the bark off your trees...nibbling your flowers...chowing down on your apples...raiding your bird feeders....oops! Suddenly, Bambi isn't quite so adorable. But, of course, they are only doing what comes naturally and, unlike humans, they are only destroying your garden to survive....not for the sport of it. An average deer eats 6-8 pounds of forage a day. And, on a more serious note, the more deer that are attracted to your garden, the higher the chances of them bringing in deer ticks that can carry the dreaded Lyme disease. Another repercussion of your yard and garden attracting deer, is that the dining deer may saunter off into the streets surrounding your home becoming a road hazard, causing harm to vehicle, human, and deer alike. So, what to do? There must be some humane method that protects both garden and deer, something that does not require constant re-administering, something that works day and night, rain or shine, winter or summer. The answer is a physical barrier.

Oh, no! Not some ugly fencing that detracts from the natural beauty of my garden or makes it look like a prison enclosure!

No, indeed. There is a wonderful product called "Deer Barrier" that will protect your plants (and bird feeding stations) from marauding deer. This special mesh fencing has no sharp edges and the openings are too small to get a deer's nosey nose stuck or entangled. It is made from strong, UV protected material that will withstand the poking of deer and other animals and will not fade, rust, corrode, or attract electricity. Its open mesh design and black color blend in with the surrounding landscape and does not detract from the beauty of your garden. "Deer Barrier" is available in rolls, 7' tall and either 100' or 350' in length. It is very comfortable to work with and easily attaches to trees or posts.

But I have a serious deer problem. A whole herd of them have discovered my garden. Is "Deer Barrier" strong enough for me?

Not to worry--- if you are in a high-density deer population area where it seems like the "Deer Tour Bus" has let off all its passengers at your personal wildlife cafe and they are treating your garden like an all-you-can-eat buffet, there is a step higher for you in the Deer Barrier product line. You are a likely candidate for "X-treme Deer Barrier." This product has all the appealing features of "Deer Barrier" but is one foot taller and has twice the tensile strength. It is available in rolls, 8' tall and 100' in length.

Ever wonder what deer really love to eat? Here is a list of their personal favorites. (If you have these in your garden, you should very seriously consider using either "Deer Barrier" or "X-treme Deer Barrier.")

Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea )

Fraser Fir (Abies fraseri)

Norway Maple (Acer platanoides)

EasternRedbud (Cercis canadensis)

Atlantic White Cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides)

Clematis (Clematis spp.)

Cornelian Dogwood (Cornus mas)

Winged Euonymus (Euonymus alatus)

Wintercreeper (Euonymus fortunei)

English Ivy (Hedera helix)

Apples (Malus spp.)

Cherries (Prunus spp.)

Plums (Prunus spp.)

Rhododendrons (Rhododendron spp.)

Evergreen Azaleas (Rhododendron spp.)

Catawba Rhododendron (Rhododendron spp.)

Hybrid Tea Rose (Rosa (x) hybrid)

Make sure the only deer in your garden are the decorative concrete kind. Use either "Deer Barrier" or "X-treme Deer Barrier" to keep the "wild" in wildlife and keep the wildlife in the wild!

Tina has lots of deer around her property and sometimes even in her garden. She knows that a good way to keep them out is with deer barrier or extreme deer barrier.

American Hunter 40 Pound Hanging Feeder

American Hunter E-40P 40 LB. Capacity hanging feeder, adjustable feed rate 1-30 seconds, 40 pound capacity plastic hopper, portable, provides easy relocation, easy to install, feeds at daylihg and again up to 12 hours later, galvanized metal slinger

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Moultrie Metal Spinner/Feeder Deer Feeder Kit

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Moultrie 30-Gal Pro-Hunter Tripod Md.# Mfh-Phb30B

Plastic tapeRed hopper w/lockable, flip lid. 200 lbs. capacity, approximately 4 months worth of feeding. Schedule up to 6 different feed times a day. Up-to-the-minute timer lets you precisely program start time. Customize feed aMounts w/variable feed settings (1-20 seconds run time). Diamond shaped Metal sPin Plate & funnel. Throws feed in a 40-ft. diameter circle. ABS plastic Kit housing is durable & user friendly. Operates on 6-volt Battery (not included).

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