Well the bears have finally gone to bed, and I hope the raccoons, I don't exactly know what they do for the winter, seems they go away for awhile. The squirrels and the bunnies are still rooting around but not for long. There is too much snow for them to go food hunting. So they will go to bed soon. It's time to put out my pretty new wooden bird feeders that I found under the Christmas tree.
I generally feed a song bird mix that has bits of dried fruit and nuts as well as a variety of seeds. Around here it's often called "bear food" because it is absolutely the perfect winter blend. Well the bears also like "clif" bars and if left in cars are worthy of a break in. For the winter I add a suet mix for extra warmth and energy, the woodpeckers really love suet. One of my new decorative birdfeeders has an extra little section just for suet it's a great idea.
The raccoons pulled down one of my Shepard's hooks that I use to hang the birdfeeders and the ground is now too frozen to replace it so I have to get creative. A rope and pulley system is working pretty well. I strung it from the porch to a tree which is really nice. I can stay dry and still fill the birdfeeder and I don't have to climb the tree. I got the perfect wooden bird feeder with a sturdy hook on top, even our worst winds (so far 90 mph this year) hasn't knocked it down.
I finally had to put the heater in the ornamental birdbath, something about the 8 degree Fahrenheit over night temperatures that kept making the birdbath a mini skating rink. Drinking water is so very important to our winter friends, make sure you have some available.
Some of my birds have returned. A few of the chickadees and wrens have shown up just before the last storm. I expect the others will show up soon. I love to find the little footprints in fresh snow. Everybody else seems to have run off to warmer climates. Right about now I am considering becoming a snow bird. Arizona, Hawaii, Death Valley, Palm Springs, somewhere, anywhere warmer, but if I do that who will take care of my feathered friends. Maybe I can convince them to come with me.
After working for over 20 years in an office, I finally decided to do what I want to do. I've traveled to many countries and finally settled down in N. California. I work from home selling what our feathered friends need; shelter and a place to eat. http://www.birdbathplus.com
- Related Videos
- Related Articles
- Ask / Related Q&A
Pet Arthritis: Understanding Your Pets Joint Pains
By: David LeAche | 06/12/2009Just as with people, many pets suffer from arthritis. While most pet owners believe that arthritis in dogs only occurs in elderly animals, there are many other causes besides aging that can lead to the soreness and inflammation of a pet's joints. In more than half of the dogs over six...
Guinea Pigs - The History and Origins of the Guinea Pig
By: Bob Matthews | 06/12/2009Guinea pigs and humans share a history of more than 10,000 years. The cavy originated in Central and South America. In the wild, their domain extended throughout Uruguay, Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru. The cavy was domesticated by the Inca Indians somewhere around 7,000 or 8,000 years ago. They were...
Guinea Pigs - How to Care For Your Cavy
By: Bob Matthews | 06/12/2009The guinea pig - also known as a cavy - is one of the more popular pets in North America. This is largely because they are friendly, docile and amiable creatures. And with few special needs, they are also relatively easy to care for. There are many varieties of guinea...
Guinea Pigs - a Cavy Q
By: Bob Matthews | 06/12/2009The guinea pig is one of the most popular pets in North America. In spite of this, there are many facts about this little creature that are not commonly known by most people. Please join me as I attempt to explore (sometimes successfully) some facts regarding the history and characteristics...
Guinea Pig Cages - The Most Commonly Overlooked Factor in Choosing a Cage
By: Bob Matthews | 06/12/2009When you go shopping for a guinea pig cage, what are the things you consider? Color? Price? An attractive design? People choose their cages based upon many different criteria. However, there is one extremely important factor that often gets overlooked or ignored. The most commonly overlooked factor in choosing a guinea...
Guinea Pigs - How to Exercise Your Guinea Pig
By: Bob Matthews | 06/12/2009With a hamster, you can just toss a wheel in its cage and it'll hop right on it and chug away - going nowhere - and he'll be perfectly happy. It reminds me of the people you see at the health club - chugging away on their elliptical trainers -...
Training Tips for Your Blue Heeler
By: Gerald Grafton | 06/12/2009Starting the training of your blue heeler as soon as possible is some of the best advice anybody can give you (this goes for any breed of dog). Take some time to brush up on some methods for how to train your dog and then begin.
How You Can Train Your Dog Successfully
By: Matt LeClair | 06/12/2009When it comes to training your dog, there are a few important tips that you need to keep in mind in order to be successful. Nothing ever comes easy and the same is true with training your dog. Some of the most important tips to keep in mind are to be patient, be consistent, and make it fun for you and your dog. This article will discuss some of the essential tips for successfully training your dog.
May and June Birdies
By: Jean Woods | 16/07/2008 | PetsI know you have listened to me complain about our weather before but this year takes the cake. I put out all the bird houses, set up the garden fountain and the birdbath, filled up the birdfeeders with the new mix and what does it do? It snows....
Birdies
By: Jean Woods | 14/10/2007 | PetsBirdies and birdhouses, ponds and birdbaths, birdfeeders and BEARS! Here we go again. It seems just yesterday the bears were waking up and hunting for birdfeeders filled with their favorite BearFood. Suddenly here it is time for them to start stocking up for the long winter slumber....
July Birdies
By: Jean Woods | 31/07/2007 | PetsI must have done something right this season, which I find pretty amusing since what I did mostly was ignore my garden. I cleaned out all the wonderful ornamental birdhouses as well as hung a few new ones. I cleaned out the pond and the birdbath fountain as well....
April Birdies
By: Jean Woods | 16/04/2007 | PetsThey're here, they're here. Finally, well it seems like forever, some of my migrating feathered friends have returned to their favorite bird feeders, at least to my favorite bird feeders. The youngest pair of evening grosbeaks were the first to return. I find this interesting because they were...
Is Spring Here?
By: Jean Woods | 16/04/2007 | PetsWell it's spring, in some parts of the country anyway, around here winter is truly just beginning. Last week my robin returned, only to be buried in 4 feet of snow. The poor thing. I have a wooden bird feeder on a pole and it literally had...
January Birdies
By: Jean Woods | 07/02/2007 | PetsWow! It seems that our friends in Canada decided we had it much too easy and they sent us some of their cold weather via the "Alberta Clipper", okay you can stop now. For those of you in Minnesota you know what I mean, but believe me for those in...
The Bears Have Finally Gone To Bed!
By: Jean Woods | 31/12/2006 | PetsWell the bears have finally gone to bed, and I hope the raccoons, I don't exactly know what they do for the winter, seems they go away for awhile. The squirrels and the bunnies are still rooting around but not for long. There is too much snow for...