HAPPENINGS IN THE MID-ATLANTIC FORUMPart #2

Sally great Idea, I'll copy and paste my posts there. Don't forget to add the link to you above post.

Here's a new thread , we'll see happens

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1147355/hat

This message was edited Jan 2, 2011 12:49 PM

Started a new thread:

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1147450/

2nd thread.

I just ordered two flying mokeys for grandaughter in N Carolina (the one who sent me the mason bee house). They are being shipped directly to her (so I have no shipping cost). I know that she, her BF and cats will love them!

Daughter who lives in NJ ordered them and the kids went bonkers with them ... the adults wanted them also ... the make real monkey sounds.

http://www.handhelditems.com/slingshot-flying-monkey-with-scream-sound-p-4958.html

MARY

Those are too funny ! I like the pig, frog and cow.

I bought several of the monkeys. They are too cute and I'm sure the kids will have some fun with them.

Daughter’s Pre-K Dramatic Play Center
This center was created to go with her "Wild, Wild West" theme.
It presently includes cowboy hats, stick horses, baby doll and a pretend campfire.
She’s hoping to find bandannas, vests, chaps and maybe some toy spurs.

She’s spraying pebbles with gold paint. Kiddies will be involved in gold prospecting on the water/sand table center.

MARY

Oh that is really cute. Sounds like a very nice and interesting Pre-K
My GD also goes to a school that I just love. They did an Arctic theme for their cultural week. One of the children's Mother is Inuit and she came and told stories about the Inuit culture. They all got Inuit names, one of the teachers brought in snow shoes and we took in our kayak. Different classes picked different themes and then one day all the classes visited each other and learned about that class's culture. I was driving 3yr old Lily down past the river one day and said to her look and see all the ice and she started telling me that Polar Bears live on the ice.

Interesting and unusual gardens

http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/improvement/lawn-garden/worlds-18-strangest-gardens



MARY

Mary,

What a creative space your daughter has made. I wouldn't mind playing there myself. I was just reading a long and angry post from a teacher in another forum I visit about an expensive Pre- K in Louisiana. It didn't sound like they had anything like this for the little ones.

My DG subscription is about to renew in 10 days. I'm thinking that I will stay, although I haven't visited nearly as much as 2008, 2009. As for that other site, I never got comfortable finding my way around, but it's become my go to for co-ops.

Gita,

Maybe I missed it, did you get all those brugs and vines down to the first floor?

Now that was educational!

Pam--
Do you mean did I get the Brugs into my dark, cool Shop?
Yes--I have 3 down there. I gave the 4th one away to someone. She was happy!

Need to dribble a bit of water on the root-balls.....just a bit.

By Vines--you mean my dug up Mandevilla roots--yes?
They are sitting down there in a shallow box. Haven't done anything else with them.
I should dump some Peat Moss on them--or crumpled up newspapers....

Still don't know how I will go about propagating them in the spring.
I only have room for 2 of these plants....

Gita

Merry, your daughter ought to get in touch with my DH & me. Since I retired, we both became Rockhounds & Gold Prospectors, but I still have my greenhouse. She needs a goldpan & some sand so she can show the kids how to pan for gold. Neat. (just looking at this pix, I think I am going to get my shorts altered. They are too baggy. LOL)

This message was edited Jan 8, 2011 9:58 PM

Buttoneer, she is planning on using aluminum pie pans. She mentioned that her funds are low (she teaches at a Catholic school so her pay is not great) and did not want to spend any more money on this project ... the sand she has for the water/sand table is blue ... I remembered I have almost a full bag of the regular (yellowish) playsand .. so I'm giving her that. Each class at the school is doing a different time era presentation for Catholic School Week. She chose the Wild Wild West era because she thought her students would be able to grasp its major features.

When she visited this past Thurs, she shared how much her students are learning ... example during a cowboy story they asked several questions relating to the words used in respect to attire ...britches and chaps were among the inquires.

MARY

Mary,

What is she planning to use for the container with the water and sand in it?

Just FYI--HD has 2 sizes of concrete mixing troughs. They are black, sturdy plastic.
I think the smaller one is under $5. It may be 5"-6" deep.
When it is no longer used at school--you can use it to mix potting soil in.

It should be wherever they keep bags of concrete...

Gita

Gita, she has a water/sand table for the activity. At the beginning of the school year she purchased BLUE sand for it.

For the gold prospecting activity the yellowish sand that I have would be more appropriate.

MARY

I am always reading people talking about 'that other sight', but don't know what it is. Can someone enlighten me? You can dmail me if you don't want to post it.

Thanks

The blue sand would be better with a tiny bit of gold sand mixed in it. You should put some gold painted small stones in the sand. You could use acrylic or enamel. Do you know how to pan for gold? Here's a link on the proper way to move your pan around. Have fun!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Cbiiohp5bQ&feature=related

Interesting link Buttoneer, thanks .... I'll e-mail it to my daughter.

I gave her the yellowish play sand that I had. She has a considerable number of small stones that she plans to spray with glossy gold paint.

Mary

Awesome. Hope she takes pix and provides them to you so you can post a couple.

Hi ladies, I was just wondering what your weather was like? We have snow, sleet, ice, slop, flooding and pouring rain at the moment. Please tell me this is the beginning of Spring, and if not, have my straight jacket sent to my address PRIORITY MAIL, pronto.

I am loosing it big time.

We got a couple of inches of snow with freezing rain on top. The snow has that icy glaze over the top but it is above freezing and where ever the snow has been removed it is melting. Roads are pretty clear Ric went out about an hour ago. Plenty of birds at the feeders.

I bought a bunch of 20lb. bags of Bird Seed at Ace hardware.
Seemed too good a deal not to. 3 bags for $10! I got 6 bags.
Been sharing with my DD and SIL.

The problem is that hardly any birds are coming to my big,
3-tube feeder. They just don't seem to like this seed.
Might be that it has a lot of that Milo in it--those little, brown balls...
All that adds is weight anf not quality.

The seed "my" birds lile is the Wgners Eastern Regional Mix--
BUT--That is $16 for a 20lb bag.

Gita

Zeigler's Distributors, Inc. in Lebanon, Pa is where I purchase my exotic bird seed. I have dealt with them since I bred parrots many years ago. Now it is difficult to get enough seed for the minimum order since I only have six birds. I put it from the big bags into small bags and then put it in a big freezer so I can buy in bulk, but the freezer is gettng full. I decided to buy cat food and wild bird seed with this order since my freezer space is so small. I had it delivered today and reading Gita's post on the price of 20 lb. Wow, that is a deal.

I paid $13.00 for 40 lb. I am afraid what it might look like, but the same people make it that make some exotic food, so I am taking a chance. I got 160 lbs.
I have one bird that eats a special blend treat that costs $49.57 for 20 lb. and that is wholesale.
Can you imagine what people pay for that by the pound in a pet shop? It is no wonder the small bird breeders can no longer afford to breed. The pet shops are importing many of the birds in from other states or out of the country; Some are smuggled in from Mexico and that is so sad when you see how they do that. I would never buy a bird from Pet Smart or any of those places unless they will give you the name of the breeder. They will not do that. LOL. You have no idea where their birds come from. Here in NJ you need a permit to own a parrot. They cost $20 a year.
Wow, forgive me for going off on this subject. The bottom line is that bird seed is expensive but the little darlings must eat. Wild and Tame. Do not forget they need water also. It is difficult to keep it from freezing but it is important they get water daily.
O.K. I will shut up and move on. :>

I buy safflower only, from bulk bins at a local place. I guess it's around 1.29 a lb but it has lasted well. (Sunflower just goes right to the squirrels and they pig out!) I have nice bird action and only use a cup or two a day. Usually just one cup.
Safflower gets me plenty of cardinals, juncos, chickadees, doves, Thistle gets me finches, juncos, pure suet gets nuthatches and woodpeckers, and pure suet seems to last a long time too. I really wonder if the seedy suet just falls apart. A peanut/red pepper suet block I got has hardly been touched- I wonder if its rancid or something.

Sally--

I have also thought if the Ace hardware seed may be rancid?????

I know Goldfinches will avoid old Thistle Seed??? I have Finch feeders--
and I have filled them up--and they just sit there....

Unfortunately--Thistle seed seems to only come in the big bags in most places.
Geez! That can sit in my shed for 3 years! No wonder they don't eat this!

In that case--I mix it in with the regular bird seed and hope someone eats it.

But! This Ace seed has me confused!

My daughter and mark live in Dundalk. I kid with them--that they are Dundalk Birds
(Local joke) and that they don't mind "Dundalk Seed" --read that as a lower quality.

I threw a couple of cups of this same seed down on the patio floor---and squirrels
came and so did some birds....The wind, probably, blew away the rest.....

Perhaps I should put out a smaller feeder--so the seed can stay fresher?
The squirrels cannot reach this feeder--as it hangs under my high patio roof.

Any comments from any of you?

Thanks--Gita

The squirrels will not touch thistle seed. As to other birds some like it high on a platform. Some like it on the ground. All like a bit of sand to use as grits if no open soil is available. Water is their most difficult item to find in freezing water. Your heated water will be a blessing. We go through a hundred pounds of mixed song bird seed, nearly that much black sunflower and at least forty pounds of Nigra thistle seed, and a case of protein blocks which includes some fruit and nuts. All of our supplies come from an Ace Hardware store. They have better pricing than any of our big box stores. Our ear corn for the squirrels comes from local farms.

The trick to a great feeding station is to have it one where you can see it at a glance and two where the birds have thick cover they can quickly go to when danger appears. Any station up and doing a good job will attract mice and chip monks followed by the neighbors cats and hawks which eat your birds to survive.
This is nature's plan.

We have a good bird population. Our feeding goes on year around. Nearly all of the birds available in our are regular visitors. Presently we have no cats while the chipies are into their winter's nap period. The only time we do not see lot of feeding birds is when the hawks are in the area. They take out about three birds a day average. They usually get the birds that are small or weakened for some reason. This leaves the strongest for survival and raising the population next summer.

I've been meaning to ask your opinions on feeding birds only during the winter days when it's hardest for them weather wise or food source scarcity. (including water source)

If there is food and water out, great, if not move on...

Does intermittent feeding do more harm than good?

Expense of of year round or full season feeding is not in my budget right now. Also don't want to become a regular stop on other critters rounds (coons, squirrels, fox, etc).

Are crusts of bread OK? Other non standard "treats"? Last year I put out a handful of blueberries and some apple pieces.

Coleup, I put out bread crusts and fruit from time to time. I also feed year round in the summer but I think it is fine to only feed during the winter months as long as it is consistently and carries the birds that come to depend on your feeder through to spring. That's just MHO someone else might have different thought on the subject.

Feeding constantly is most important. The birds become dependent. In most communities enough other home owners feed that if someone stops the birds simply move around to the various sources. This thinking is no good if you do not have close neighbors.

Assume they become dependent on you. Feed until the ground is clear and flowers are in early bloom. Stopping to early in the spring may be the most unfair to those you have put on easy street all winter. When the flowers start to bloom there will be insects for them to eat. The seed eaters will always mooch your feed. Perhaps the English Sparrow or House Sparrows are the worst moochers.

Water and a bit of sand is very low cost yet two things that are hard to come by for the birds when the temperatures fall and stay below freezing. A bird bath electric water warmer costs about ten cents a day to run. They have thermostats that automatically turn them off when temperatures rise above freezing water temperature. Both the heater and the sand are in most big box stores. The heater will usually be in the area of the bird feeds while the sand will be in the contractors cement area. Goodness do not buy any product labeled bird grits. My birds are always picking all over our patio for the limestone fines we set our brick with. Limestone fines are just as good as sand for the the birds to use. Anytime there is open ground after the snow melt birds can find all kinds of natural grits. They sure would enjoy a handfull of sand right now at anyplace that has snow cover.

Some birds will pick at white bread crumbs. They do not like other breads for their own reasons. White commercial bread is about as good for them as it is for you. We do not eat white commercial bread and would not feed birds with it.

Doc, it is so nice to hear from others who care for their wild birds just like they would a house pet. I have a passion for birds as well as plants and when I see a tiny bird out there at the feeder, be it a sparrow or a finch, I get a really good feeling.

Yesterday the melting was flooding the grass between the house and the greenhouse. The birds have their feeder between the GH and the Feed Barn....they were actually bathing in the cold water and some were drinking it. My birdbath is available to them but they preferred the fresh melted snow water. Smart birds.

When I lived in PA we had tiny little wrens that would migrate and build nests in little boxes.
I have not seen one here in NJ in all the years I lived here. I wondered if anyone could tell me if you have any of those tiny birds in the Spring and Summer at your locations? There is a wren down here but it is not like the ones in PA. The ones up there had long beaks and long tails and tiny bodies. Just wondering. I do miss their beautiful songs.
Song birds are few and far between here. There is a bird watching group I visit sometimes here on DG just to keep up with what is around and when.
For all those hungry birdies out there, especially since there is so much snow on the ground, thanks so much to you who take the time to feed and water them. JB

We have a heated bird bath and also spread some seeds on our brick patio as well There is sand between the bricks of the patio and quite often see the birds picking between the bricks either for grit or seeds. In the summer it is nice to have a dust bath area for them as well.

It seems like I will see nasty grackles and starlings when I put out bread. My theory is junk food=junk birds LOL

I've also seen that a low water dish with a south facing wall behind it will get melt many days.

The only wren we have through the winter is the Carolina Wren. Our smaller wrens either migrate or move into thicker cover for our winters. We have had the well known Genny Wren nesting on or near our property every year we have been here. That is pushing forty years now. I think the Carolina Wrens nest here too but I have never discovered their nests. We have seen them with young immature offspring.

Our winter hawks are the Coopers and the Sharp-shin. The Red Tailed Hawk is an occasional visitor during the warmer months. We have owls for them to chase and enjoy the ongoing battles. We live almost within the mountains with a river to our South and a strong creek to our East both within a mile. Within the mile we have numerous small streams one of which is about a hundred yards from our front porch. Right now we are seeing Canadian Geese in sizable flocks flying over in spite of our cold weather. They may be residents of the river which is about seventy five percent frozen over looking for open water. We are in one of the flyways and will see many migrating flocks from early March into April. All of our lakes are also frozen solid. The geese are likely on our faster moving creek waters at the moment.

This message was edited Jan 19, 2011 4:25 PM

Doc, the Genny Wren is the one I was thinking about. I love her song. I wish we had them here. I think the Carolina wren is the one that is here. They are bigger aren't they? They are similiar to the size of the sparrow we have here.

The Canadian Geese cause farmers and others here in NJ problems. Their droppings are a mess when they leave a field or a yard. The problem with them here is that they never migrate anymore...they have become residents. It is a shame they annoy people the way they do but nothing we can do about it. People who live along the streams get furious when the tourists or other people feed them snack food and then they stick around and the droppings stay too. LOL.

The White ones are also here frequently, the Snow Geese! They do migrate but what a mess they make when they stop to eat.

We too have hawks. In fact, one family keeps hanging around and each year they reproduce. They have all but cleaned out out rabbit population. They have been known to even carry off kittens. They are brown and white but I do not know if they are red tailed. I do not like them very much.

We also have a family of crows and they are as big as chickens. They eat the veggies and other stuff I throw out from my parrots. The ones that really freak me out are the turkey buzzards. They meet several days a week at the top of our silo. I look up and tell them I AM NOT DEAD YET. MOVE ON. At my age I do not want turkey buzzards hanging around. No feeding those buggers.

Have a lovely evening..Take a look at that moon. You will not see it again for a few days. More snow coming. JB

The Carolina Wren is as large as your sparrows. They carry their tail upright like a wren and it is quite active in the wren pumping tail action. One of the other marks is easy to see up close. The Carolina Wren has a distinctive cream streak or bar on both side of its head. I can see these two things long before I can see the wren's bill.

Here those large crows are called Canadian Crows. They leave and go home as soon as the weather warms up. Our native crows are easily a full third smaller. All to many of our Geese have become residents here too. Our game commission will authorize special hunts.....for instance a golf course to clean out the over population. They have fowled a whole lake in our village park. We have tried just about anything to get folks to stop feeding but that seems fruitless. We have tried hunting near by but for every ten we shoot fifteen more seem to appear out of no where.

We now have 3 birdfeeders up, two with mixed seed & one with niger. We get them all: Goldfinches, Juncos, Cardinals, Blue Jays, Woodpeckers, Jenny Wrens (who live in our bird houses and create families in the summer), sparrows, and maybe more I forgot to mention. I just ordered a used Audubon Eastern Bird Watching Book from one of the vendors on Amazon (haven't gotten it in the mail, yet). We hear hooty owls in the summer/autumn, and all sorts of really neat birdy calls in the warmer months. Since I retired, we have both become birdwatchers in the winter. I started taking pictures about a month ago. Here's a cute little goldfinch. I Love nature and taking pix of it.. I also have been posting birdy pix in the birds forum.

This message was edited Jan 19, 2011 8:56 PM

OH my!!!!

Miss a day in checking out all the watched Threads--and now i am overwhelmed as to
what to reply to in this one......Will try!

I am 100% certain that by now i SHOULD have birds fighting over the perches
in my big, 3-tube feeder. They always have.
Here it is mid-January--and i have barely seen the seed levels dropping in the tubes.
Something is wrong! Since it is the same feeder I put out every year--in the same location--
do not know what else would keep them away except that they do not like the seed I have filled it with.
And yes! I do wash out the feeder at the end of the year--really--just hose it out real good.

My feeder is not visible from above--as it hangs under my patio roof. But--every winter--they find it,
regardless, and chow down. IF ever--the Blackbirds find it--and they come in clouds--
the feeder will be emptied out in a couple of days. I hate them!

Since my small back yard has 2 big maples in it--any hawks flying above do not really see
any of the birds. I have seen a few Mourning Doves snatched up--as they are ground feeders
and slow to take flight. Don't know what kind of hawks circle all over here....

Doc--I do not feed my birds during summer. I have read that feeding birds during the summer
is, kind of, enabling them NOT to fend on their own. Getting too dependent on seed.

I stop feeding birds about the same time I have planted out all my seedlings and plants.
I start feeding them again in fall after all the leaves have fallen and I have no more raking
to worry about. The wind blows the leaves all over----seed would be obliterated.
When I clean up my patio floor--I will put out the feeder.

I do set up 3 containers of water during the growing season--one a real, concrete
bird bath--the other two just large plastic saucers of water on the ground.
These help out the smaller critters as well. The saucers stay out all winter--and only help
if the water is not frozen. Since I shut off mu hoses--I cannot re-fill them.

I COULD work out an experiment---------Buy a bag of that $16 Wagner's Bird Seed at HD and see just
how many more birds come to my feeder. That would be proof positive that Ace's Bird seed is junk!
Not enough GOOD seed--and too much filler....

OK! Gotta check on my other watched Threads....
Good night---Gita

Here is a pic of my bird feeder last February--when we had all that snow....
This was taken out through my LR window....Not much to see--but it is completely
under the patio roof, never gets wet--and the squirrels cannot get to it.....