Blue: Can't remember what size the pump is but I bought it at Ace and paid about $45 for it, it is about 3x3 inches. They also carry the watering cans and tubs. Hope that helps.
pics from the watering can
I love the flowing water. I have a water fountain with a pineapple on top that has water flowing out of it. Little finches and sparrows love to climb on it and sit right where the water comes out.
Paul James recently had a little gizmo on his show that you put in the bird bath. It's battery operated and it vibrates in the water and attracts the birds. It's cool! I saw it in Birds-n-Blooms for $30. I get plenty of sparrows in mine already.
My neighborhood is new and has small trees so we don't get a big variety of birds. I have Sparrows, Dove, Finches, and a pair of Cardinals. I occassionally have a pair of Red-winged Blackbirds and some Robins. But like bird-hater Fly-girl, (LOL) I had to stop feeding mine this year too. Last year construction ran field mice and attic rats to our neighborhood, specifically my yard. I didn't want to kill them or have dead ones around so I trapped them in a cage and carried off about 20 of them. This year I've only seen one field rat and one small mouse since I've stopped feeding them. I miss them tho!
I had a lot of doves until the hawks learned where to come. They were watching something near my yard the other day.
Love those pictures,,, thanks for sharing, Elaine
good shot... the great horned owls have been after the doves in the trees here..got one that feel down dead from the tree but before the owl got it a hawk swooped it up.. Do the rats bother sugar water..? What if you put the bird seed in the pond..will rats cross water to get to it ?
Thanks bloom... I have an Ace right down the road. Don't think it's open tonight tho. RATS! LOL : )
I had a pile of doves earlier in the year. Recently I spotted a hawk and a huge owl. Maybe they got them. I didn't know they ate doves. Big ole meanies!!!!
This message was edited Nov 28, 2006 12:10 AM
The owls eat just about anything that moves, cats, dogs, rabbits, birds, and skunks being their favorite.
Cats? Oh My!!!!
My youngest cat (Sissy 2 1/2) tried to sneak up on a big ole buzzard the other day. Good thing I was watching her, cause he started hopping towards her, I ran out and frailed my arms wildly like a wild woman, and he flew away. Sissy brissled up and looked at me like...Get away from me, you're crazy. LOL : )
I'm not sure about buzzards but once the owl knows where cats are they will keep coming back and wait in a tree for the right moment. If you have owls better to keep your cats indoors. I had an owl go after my cats twice in daylight.
Thanks for the info. I'll keep a closer eye.
BlueGlancer,,, I grew up in Wauchula,, Have you lived there long? We were just down there for Thanksgiving and took some buttefly pictures. Betterbloom, I wish a hummer would fly south through my yard. I still have 2 feeders up. We even still have a few flowers blooming. Chrysanthemums, impatiens, celosia. Here is butterfly in Florida,, Elaine
EF: you're very lucky to have butterflies, I don't, and that one is beautiful. I've only seen one red admiral and one very small one here in two weeks. I even tried the butterfly bait, no luck, just hundreds of bees. Then, I brought the bottle of bait inside to wash off some that got on the outside of the container, well, I forgot about it and it exploded in my house. What a mess, all over the cabinets, walls, carpet and in my hair! Hummers, I can't even put out a feeder, again hundreds of bees in minutes. The watering can seems to be working for getting them here without the use of sugar water. I guess you only get blessed with one, birds or butterflies.
Oh my,, what kind of bees? We have honeybees still flying around on my chrysanthemums. Also have lots of yellow jackets in the fall. I don't think I will get any of that butterfly bait. What in the world is in it to make it explode like that???Elaine
EF...
I've lived in Wauchula for 31 years. I grew up in a little area south of Bartow. (Homeland)
Do you still have family here?
I don't know why but I was warned about it. It's made with beer, brown sugar, and bananas. I should have had it in a container with a tighter lid and should have left it outside as told too..haha! Anyways, we have honey bees bad this month, I figured if they liked it that much I should put it in my bee killer traps...it worked. I would like to just leave the bees alone but they are very agressive here, to the point where you can't sit outside without them swarming around you.
Oh bb!! How horrible, that gunk exploding in your house! Has to have a hole in the top for the gasses to escape, it is a volitile mixture. Guess I don't have to tell you that now.
I have already taken my HB feeders down for the winter. They are too smart to be caught up here in the winter. Put the feeders out again in mid March and see again then. They will want the Nectars too, so what kind of plants do you have that attract hummers? We need focus on getting you fixed up for when they come back, girl! I will be happy to share what I have. Some come up fast, and some take a while to establish. I will help any way I can!
~o~
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..vv..
Thanks debnes, Iam just not good at seeds. We will get the yellow butterflies migrating thru here in the spring so I'll try the bait again then. And this time I will know to keep it outside. It scared me for a minute until I realized what the noise was then I just laughed for awhile. That pic sure looks nice, hard to get them flying, their wings moving always make my pics look blurry. Is that some kind of lavender. I have four lavender plants and the hummers really go for it.
Is there a favorite plant that the butterflies like, maybe I could find a plant at the nursery. I read somewhere that the hummers like mesquite trees, don't believe it..I live in a park where there are hundreds of these trees..and no butterflies here.
The plant there in the picture is Vitex, (Chaste Tree, Monk's Pepper). The hummers really went for it.
Here is a site about Hummies in CA: http://www.laspilitas.com/garden/hummingbird.html
That might give you some good ideas..
Gave me lots of ideas..will make a list tonight so I can take it with me when I go plant shopping, if I have a yard left after today. Right now we are having high winds and they say it's going to get worse by tonight. Iam so mad, my green goddess is about 2 inches high, my pink callas about 5 inches, and one iris starting to bloom, not a good time for cold weather. Last two nights I put an indoor lamp next to them to help keep them warm, tonight Iam going to cover them also.
I am glad to know that Deb, I just got two Vitex this year. We love the hummers!
I got 2 vitex this year also. Both were blooming when I got them. So lovely.
I found a sleeping bumblebee one night, hugging the blooms. : )
Both have buds on them again now....probably will be open in a couple of weeks.
Well mine were tiny but I have great hope for them. LOL!!
I got mine at Lazy SS Farm Nursery in August, they were 1 1/2 ft tall, and not a leave or bud out of place.
They package really good. They are now twice the size they were. : )
I love those Vitex, the hummers love them, plus they grow really fast.
Did I tell you my neighbor thought it was something illegal lol.
Yes Sheila be prepared they need a lot of room to grow> They can get huge over time, but maybe controlled quite a bit by pruning. You will love them though!
Here's one DG'ers Vitex, about 15+ feet tall...
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/39966/
I really like how it has been pruned up.
That's what I'm hoping to do with my 2. Make small trees out of them. : )
Can you imagine a tree like that covered with hummies??
Wouldn't that be something?
Hummers all over it...I wouldn't call it a tree, I'd call it heaven.
Not sure I have enough sun for the vitex. We have mostly woods, but may have to try them. I love those hummingbirds. BlueGlancer, yes, I have lots of family & friends in Wauchula,, (Green family). Elaine
I'll d-mail you EF : )
This message was edited Nov 30, 2006 1:03 AM
I have planted one in the middle of the front yard so it will get loads of sun, and room to grow. The second I put in the back yard will get a lot of sun, but due to shop and power lines on a property line, we will have to watch it a little more carefully. Pruning usually makes plants thicker, so I am not worried about that. I just hope mine are the purple!
deb & Sheila - That Vitex is beautiful! Due to a generous member here, I hope to try to grow one or two from seed! ;-)