Memorial Day Weekend

First, I'd like to salute the men and women who served to protect our country. Thank you to those who made the ultimate sacrifice, and the families who live with their loss. 

We must remember how much freedom cost, and we must be thankful.

My son, Alex, took this pic of a
Bald Eagle  at the Memphis Zoo.

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This Memorial Day weekend, I've spent some time working on new bird feeders. I'm excited to be restocking my Etsy shop! I'm hoping to have new feeders posted by the end of the week. So, check my Etsy shop by clicking the link in the sidebar. I think they look pretty in the yard and they make for sweet gifts. 
  

New bird feeders coming soon!

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Even though we haven't made any hummingbird feeders...I love hummingbirds!  Today, I mixed my own nectar and filled my hummingbird feeders. (I actually added two hummingbird feeders to the yard....shhh, my husband hasn't noticed yet.)  I've read that the nectar with the red food coloring isn't very good for them. So, I'm trying a recipe that I got from a friend (Valerie S.). I mixed an equal amount of sugar and hot water and filled my feeders. Valerie makes her own nectar and her yard is filled with hummers! I've only seen a couple of hummingbirds so far this year but, I'm hoping my new mix will bring a lot more! 

New nectar mixture in feeder.

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After I finished refilling the hummingbird feeders, I was about to take a break when my husband said the yard is full of birds. He took some pics of this handsome woodpecker and a few Cardinals. It was a very busy day in the yard! It was a great day!

Downy Woodpecker

Female Cardinal (left), Male Cardinal (top), Downy Woodpecker (right)

A drop of yellow sunshine

This afternoon, we had a few drops of yellow sunshine in our yard....a couple of American Gold Finches! They are so bright and beautiful! They are easily identified by their bright yellow feathers and black cap. We watched them for a few minutes and then I ran to get the camera. I was surprised they stayed so long and I got quite a few good pics.

I don't currently have a finch feeder in the yard so, I'll have to get one. I've read where the finch feeder needs to be placed about 14 feet from the other feeders. So, I have the perfect tree in mind! However, my husband told me that I'd need to take down another feeder that is already in that tree.  He said that our yard is beginning to border "crazy bird lady" territory! 

I don't think we're even close to that....so, I'm going to get a new finch feeder tomorrow! Check back soon for more fabulous finch fotos! 

  

What's on the menu? Bird seed!

I'd like to talk a little bit about bird seed. If you want to attract song birds to your yard, it's important to get the right bird seed. 

There is all kind of seed on the market and I've tried a few different kinds. However, the one that I find the birds love is The National Audubon Society's Signature Harvest Deluxe Wild bird seed. It's really awesome and the birds - Tear. It. Up! 

It's a blend of sunflower and safflower seeds. It's great for Cardinals, Nuthatches, Juncos, Chickadees, and Titmice. I usually buy my seed at Lowes. The last bag that I got was "Garden Treasures" because they were out of the National Audubon bag. The Garden Treasures was okay and the birds did like it. But, I just bought a new bag of the National Audubon and the birds are flocking to my yard! 

I'm not kidding! My husband made fun of me when I told him this....he said..."I'm sure the birds know the difference. (And he laughed)" But after watching them, he said "I think they do like this seed better." He's so cute when he agrees with me! 

Therefore, I highly recommend the National Audubon Society's Signature Harvest Deluxe Wild bird seed! Please feel free to leave me comments and let me know what bird seed you are using and how you like it!

"Woody" is back!

A few more pics that I took of "Woody"!

Weekend Housekeeping: Keep feeders clean & full.

It was a beautiful weekend so, I gave the feeders a good cleaning and filled them full of new feed & treats. It's really important to clean your feeders at least once a month. Just use warm water and maybe a little dish soap but don't use anything containing bleach. 
I'm really looking forward to cooler weather because birds are more active and they rely more on the feeders. If you're new at bird feeding, a great thing to start with is a suet cake and cage. The suet cakes are $1.50-$2.00 and the feeder cages are about $3.00. These are really good for birds during the winter months when food supplies are limited. Suet cakes are made of animal fat and it gives birds the energy they need during the winter months.  So keep your feeders clean and ready for the cooler temperatures. 

My Newest Bird-Brained Idea!

Wow! Where does the time go?! It's been a couple weeks since I've posted anything. It's been one thing after another! So, I made a little time to 'pound the keys' to share my new brilliant idea! (Yeah, that's what my husband said too, "Oh boy, what now?!")

I'm going to make bird feeders!!! 

and if they turn out pretty...I'm going to sell them at the spring festival in our town! What I'm going to need from you is comments and feedback on my feeders! I've started one feeder and I should finish it tonite or tomorrow. I'll post the finish product and you give me your opinions! 

Now, of course I can't do this project all by myself! I have to get my husband on board because I need holes drilled and he doesn't like me messing with his man toys! I keep telling him this is OUR project/business but he says "Oh no, it's YOURS! I'm just doing the drilling so you don't hurt yourself!" What?! I've never injured myself while attempting a DIY! No matter how he sees it, we are doing this together! We're spending time together and he likes it! He can keep telling himself it's all me but he's enjoying it as much as me! 

The craft show is next month and we have lots to do! I think I'm going to name our booth "The Backyard Bird Boutique"! How does that sound? Let me know what you think of the name & be sure to check back for pics and I'm begging for your feedback and suggestions! Thanks, Friends!