Fireside chat - Part 2 - pull up a chair and sit a spell...

If you don't mind, the last one was getting hard to strain thru the possum bell phone lines here in deep east TX. I've got a fire started, soon to be a good bed of coals and have a few extra rockers. Please feel free to pull up a chair and join in... The coffee is ready.
We started here http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/934048/ Who knows where we will go this time... 8 )

With this year winding down, are your thoughts are turning to the outdoors?

Are the new seed catalogues arriving?

Have you bought any seeds yet?

Are you wintersowing?

Here is a neat link for some free mater seeds and some tomato information... http://wintersown.org/wseo1/YourChoiceTomatoSASE.html

Good morning early bird! Thank you Pod for the new thread and your warm invitation, plus helpful links. I shall be back for more discussion after running an errand. Wishing yall a good day with gardening or just dreaming of spring...

Dreaming of spring ~ that is me!!! Meanwhile at 33°, I have daylight ~ just waiting on warm to get out and go to work.

Sheila mentioned it in the last thread and I have to say I have really enjoyed touring the bird photos in the BirdFiles. The photo quality rivals most of the bird ID books. DGrs are "the best" at the photos, the knowledge and the willingness to share both. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/birdfilespics/all/1080

Yes they are wonderful and gives us something to watch as we sip that coffee and look out the window at our bare gardens. The BirdFiles was opened on Christmas Day and already has almost 30 pages of birds!! I would say we will make use of that at some point. This is my friend BJ that comes to the deck every morning for peanuts. He brings about 5 more friends but they are scared of me. He will come down and land about 3 foot away. When I go inside the others make short work of the cache of peanuts.
Glad you started another Podster, it wouldn't be moving before long even on DSL.
The parsley here is doing great too. It won't be too long before spring is here and the Black Swallowtails begin laying their eggs on it. I lost count last year of the number of caterpillars I raised and released. This year I will track them better. I released 44 Monarchs last year, and it seems I had more BST than that.
Hey Phyllis...glad you finally joined us in front of the fire. It must be cold in your area. I am sure you are looking forward to spring too.

Sheila ~ this morning it had 55 pages I believe. The wide variety of birds was fascinating and the colors were so intense. I really enjoyed it. I saw some of your photos there too! I only had one to offer. A pouting baby Jay...

I haven't added any pictures to the bird files yet, but have looked and the rate at which it is growing is amazing.
I have a Mockingbird that has laid claim to the berries on my possum haw, we watched him chasing everybody away yesterday, blue jays, cardinals, that is one brave bird, it is neat to see how he defends his territory.

Thanks Pod for starting a new chat. It's almost as good as having all y'all here for breakfast! Wish y'all were here for biscuits and sausage gravy. I really don't know what I'd do without my Dave's Texans. I'm pretty much stuck at home, so y'all keep me sane. Well, some might argue with that, but.......

I'm sitting here watching the birds at the feeders. It's very nice out today, cool but comfortable in short sleeves. I've had this guy at the feeder off and on for a few days now. Isn't he pretty?

Yes he is, I love the woodpeckers.

MMMMMM,...that fire feels good.....an' the coffee smells great!

Like all of you,...I'm anxious for Spring to get here.
I just bought some more seeds ( like I really needed them!) but I'm addicted and must feed the fascination - Zeph. atamasco, Savia patens, Hippeastrum vitatum, some Gladiolus,Fritillaria & Cannas to name a few.
I started indoor germination procedures for 4 - 5 Iris seed batches about 2 weeks ago and will be putting them out soon.

Got a semi-close picture of a Summer Tanager this year......something that has been difficult to do (for me) w/o a "blind" . We have a pair that
returns each year....I'm thinking they're nesting each year...but not sure. They're so shy...it's hard to get very close.
Thanks for the good company and lookin' forward to another visit! Lee

I agree on loving the woodpeckers! They are just a bit elusive for me to try to photo. I just went for a walk with the real Podster and we saw a yellow bellied sapsucker just staying ahead of us.

Have you ever seen what the sapsucker does to hardwoods? A friend that is a forester showed me some trees that had horizontal holes drilled in them. The holes fill with sap and the bird returns often to drink from them. The reference books say other birds will visit the sap too like hummingbirds, titmice and nuthatches. It doesn't hurt the trees. This is some firewood we had cut from a tree that came down during a storm. Neat and orderly holes ~ almost looks like stitching.

Lee ~ how fun to see a summer Tanager. I've only seen one in the next county around a fruit orchard. They are beautiful.

Now, I'm curious ~ what is Salvia patens. More seeds ~ lol There is always just one more new one we need to grow...

Cute baby BJ! Like the woodpeckers too; but don't have any large hardwoods in my yard. Need to look for that when I go to the woods again.
That was a special treat to see the Tanger. Maybe you can make a portable lattice screen that you can sit behind and catch a close-up this year.

Haven't seen any woodpeckers in quite some time, so yesterday I put out another suet feeder to try to entice them to return. The squirrels are frustated trying to get at it. Lots of cardinals, though. I can always tell when the feeders are getting low because the cardinals cluster in the fig tree at the kitchen window and stare in at me.

They can be trained to beg! lol!

LOL do they have their little wings on their hips? Speaking of squirrels, I'm off to repair the roof on one of my bird feeders. Those little buggers ate a hole clean thru it.

Crowelli ~ thanks for the breakfast invite. Wouldn't you be horrified to have the DG hordes show up one morning? * ) BTW, short sleeve weather? NOT!!! lol

Frostweed ~ you mentioned the Possum Haw. I noticed yesterday the Possum Haw leaves are gone but the fruit is still hanging untouched. I am suffering sometimers disease on the other tree with all the red berries. Those have been harvested by somebody.

I've given up on suet feeders. Even in the middle of winter (Houston winter) we have days warm enough to make it messy. I like using one of the suet feeder containers, the little wire holders, and fill it with unshelled peanuts. The birds stick around longer getting the peanuts out, so more time to watch them. The blue jays especially like the peanuts. The squirrels are frustrated because they can't get to them. Anything that frustrates a rodent is great by me. The gold finches have finally found the feeders too. I just love them. I have lots of cardinals. They are much more abundant since putting in a fountain. It seems the sound of running water attracts them. Their song always reminds me of sitting on a east Texas creek bank, fishing with my grandmother.

Pod, was it you who said you'd just planted some swamp lilies? If so, please let me know where you got them? I want some and the only place I've seen that has them is Lilypons in Maryland. I may have to resort to that if I can't find them somewhere closer to home.

Tell me what a swamp lily looks like? It doesn't ring a bell but then I do have sometimers disease.....

Pod - Salvia patens is a blue salvia - aka: Gentian Sage (I believe pics are in the PF's)
I think there are numerous cultivars that are derived from the species - (still referred to as S. patens) - but,...if I'm not mistaken,...the species is a dark blue.

Sheila - Yep,....good idea! I think I could use the lattice screen to create
a sort of blind and possibly get a closer picture!
I remember when I first got a glimpse of one,...I told my DW, "it looked kinda like a Cardinal...but it didn't have a crest!" They're about the same size.

My DW, Dee,...got this pic of one of those Texas Leather-winged - Hairy Skeeter Eaters last year,...hangin' around in one of our Lantanas.
A most unusual bird ! ;~) Lee

EEEeewwww! At least he does a service. What the heck was he doing out in daylight hours I wonder.

Thanks for the Salvia info, I'll check it out.

Having nothing else to do, I have put all my energy into trying to find out what kind of bird we have at our feeders. About the size of any finch we have out there, bright yellow throat and breast but kind of a dingy nondescript light brownish head, back and wings w/(maybe) a couple of white wingbars on each wing. Jim thought he was a goldfinch but I pointed out that l) he is too yellow for this time of year for a goldfinch 2) his wings are not dark. We can't hear his voice as he is outside and we aren't. He is so skittish that he never stays but just a couple of seconds at a feeder and then off he goes for the big oak in the neighbor's back yard. So - no pictures. Surely I can do something that will take my energy into a better use. Oh, well, trying to ID a bird is something to do, anyway.

Ann

Pod, swamp lilies are Crinum Americanus. They do well in boggy areas. They have strap like foliage and white blooms that look similar to a spider lily. They aren't true lilies. The bulbs can be huge, as like most crinums. I'm looking for some to plant in that dreaded street side bed that keeps getting washed away every time we have a toad-strangling rain, which is pretty often. Our street floods, but not the houses, thank goodness. I have some iris in this bed now and would like to fill in with some swamp lilies. Got to find them first and that's a problem.....

Ann, if you have a Texas Bird Book, look at the warblers. Some of them have coloring similar to what your mystery bird does and they're about the same size as a goldfinch. I think it's a pine warbler that I've seen here, but will have to double check the book to be sure.

Willis, I love the pic of the bat! I wanted to put up a bat box, but found they need to much peripheral clearance and need to be minimum 20 feet off the ground, so I didn't have an ideal place for one. Wish I did though. I could sure use some help with the skeeters!

I do have Crinums.. but not sure which one. It was an older heirloom given to me by a friend. I'll see if I can find a photo.

Ann ~ Crowelli probably knows which birds are more common in your area but I was going to suggest one of the female buntings. It doesn't have the wing bars.

wow, I have missed so much. I have been sick since last Fri. night with some nasty bug. To be blunt, I puked my guts up for two days. I didn't know what the weather was doing until yesterday and didn't care. I still am weak and can't look at food but at least I'm up and moving a little.

I love birds too and feed all kinds year round. I just saw yesterday that I also have 2 pair of purple finches. I didn't expect them to stay for the winter, but I guess because the weather is so yoyo they thought they could ride out a few cold nights at a time.

Podster, my house sits in the woods and is surrounded by oaks, ash, pine and cedar trees. I still get winds around the house that blow over my brug. I think too, that she is top heavy and that doesn't help. Hopefully all my brugs will be able to withstand the winds when they get in the ground in the spring.

Tammie, how are your bubble wrapped brugs doing? I'm thinking next year I will bubble wrap the top branches and use pipe insulation on the main trunk. Of course with weather like this I would have to be putting it on and taking it off, but I do that with sheets for other plants so no biggy. I didn't bring my plants in for this last blast but God watched over them for me. Some frost on the butterfly bushes that are in pots ,but the roots are fine and I know they will come back.

I've missed you guys.

Glad you are still counted amongst the living! That is grim to be that ill at anytime much less the holidays. I'm glad too that your plants weren't devastated by the last chill. Amazing how hardy they can be.

I am amazed at their sturdiness. I wonder why I worry so.

I have a new thread on the brugs forum showing my cherub that just bloomed. I have waited nine long months for this. I just have to share her with all my DG firends.

I have Peterson's book on birds - the one for Texas birds incl. ones that live here and the ones that are here for the winter and the others that just get blown off the path or are passing thru. The page of the "Confusing Fall Warblers" is the one I have been looking at and it could be any of several including the Pine and others. Still confusing. The funny thing is that the feeder it goes to is one of the round columns and it stays on the other side from me when he can so it is really hard to get a good focus on it. I would have to be outside w/camera at the ready to catch a picture of it.
The squirrels are my enemy right now. We have at least 3 that come to the feeders - the only ones that never say die. One of our daughters gave me a round feeder w/ the column inside and appears (says the tag) to be squirrel resistant. It's a HAYES FEEDER. ITEM #23234. Interesting to note that it doesn't claim to be squirrel "proof" only "resistant". We shall see. So far the squirrels are baffled. There holes in the outer cage that are big enough to allow a Cardinal to feed there but now the White Wing Doves and other big guys. This is a constant battle for those of us w/squirrels who want to be fed but to me those things are nothing buy fuzzy tailed rats.

Ann

We are very tired of the squirrels too, although I think they are adorable, but they dig everything up, including seeds plants and anything they can get their little claws on.
We finally bought a trap cage for $50.00 and so far we have caught 3 racoons, 4 possum and 4 squirrels so it was a very good investment.
We take them and release them at the wildscape, where they can dig to their hearts content.
Josephine.

Boy, Ann, I agree with the fuzzy tailed rats! I wouldn't mind them nearly as much if they didn't selectively dump out the seed they don't like. I have several feeders with different seeds in each. The squirrels prefer the no waste sunflower seed, but if that's empty, they'll go to the safflower and thistle. They don't like this, so they scrape it all out onto the ground. My trusty boxer puppy stands guard at the back door and cries to be let out when she sees a squirrel headed to the feeder. She chases them into the neighbors yard and the golden retriever there chases them back this way. Tag team squirrel chases! I bought a contraption a couple of years ago called a "Twirl A Squirrel". You hung this from the hook and then the feeder hung from it. The weight of a squirrel was supposed to make the thing spin around and throw the squirrel off. I kept waiting for one to wind up in the swimming pool. Darn, never happened. The thing didn't work very well. Either wouldn't quit spinning or wouldn't start. Back to the drawing board.

I & hubby have found an effective deterence for the squirrel with this feeder. It's spring-loaded, should the squirrel able to get onto the feeder. The squirrel's weight will slide the opening windows shut so the squirrel can't get to the seeds. What's more is made of some metal, it's rust-proof. A squirrel named 'Percy' try to chew on the metal cover and found out the hard way that act was harzadous, and could warrant for squirrel peridonal care. LOL

It's hard for me to think of them as rodents because they are so cute and clever. Right now I see a pair racing around on the neighbors' roof. I was really distressed in September when in the course of one week my cats killed three of them! And then tried to bring the carcasses into the house. They ate all but the heads and tails. Squirrels do get some of sunflower seeds, but have to hang upside down from the feeder's support bar to do it. I've tried using those supports for cob corn, but they seem to prefer what they aren't supposed to have.

I have one squirrel in the cage ready for transport, and a lovely Paper White Narcisus blooming, what more could a girl want?

Good news Josephine!

My word! Went shopping with my daughter today as she goes back to work on the 5th and every little bit of time spent together is precious. And what did you guys do, chattered all day. Thought I would never catch up. Of course, I am one of the dreaded squirrel haters. My neighbor had to have all of her soffits repaired as they ate into them. If you could look at them like a rat with a different tail....well, there you are. Everything we attempted to store in the attic was eaten through.

Can't wait for Spring. Purchased some LED lights that were on for half price today and a few other light type things for the backyard. Even got an oil heater hoping it won't blow the breakers as often.

What gorgeous weather we are blessed with. Not so foolish to believe this is it. Let's see...it is not quite January so that is 3 more months of winter...and sometimes April.

Talk about missing you guys, can't do without my daily fix. DIL from OK. even joined DG this week. Should you see her moniker, it is AmieG. I'm really lucky to have her.

peeking in to keep up ...my folks leave in the morning to mission for the month so I'll be working on starting some seeds and figuring out what I still need to order in seeds to start for he veggies and go through the flower seeds as to what to start too

Got my Burpees catalog today...great bedtime reading.

I have the baker creek and the territorial seed catalogs to look through

Ahh seed catalogs. Love em. My squirrels aren't destructive. They have their own dishes and leave everything else alone. I'm just lucky I guess. Now raccoons would be something else. A possum showed up the other night too. Oh well, living in the country has it's share of critters.

Only seed catalogue here is Jungs... no bedtime reading for me. I try to read and doze off... zzzzzz

I live inside the loop in SW Fort Worth and have opossum & raccoon; even saw a sharp-shinned hawk grab a dove a couple weeks ago in the backyard. My sis lives in the country and has Armadillo digging up her lawn.
We had such a problem with squirrels digging potted plants this year that we bought a $30 set of traps at Tractor Supply. The small one baited with shelled pecans caught the squirrels really well. We would then transfer into the larger cage and set again. We relocated 21 in about two weeks to the Botanic Garden. We have 3 regulars left now, I don't mind squirrels eating under the birdfeeders and will even put a corn cob out on occassion for them in winter. But when the population gets so large that they don't bother to stop digging in a plant even when you walk out toward them; that is where I draw the line.

squirrels dont stay long in our yard harley chases them up the trees or out of the yard .....I have only seen one live armadillo and that was on my bus route back in october the rest of them and racoons and possums have been those flat things in the middle of the road LOL

my folks said the only catalog they have so far is jung too lol