A quick little green post from lovely North Carolina - because tomorrow
the garden may look different!
Beautiful morning here, temps. heading to almost 60F this afternoon. Perhaps we're being spoiled to take the shock off what might arrive tomorrow - SNOW!
Won't be a huge storm by sound of it, no blizzard-like conditions expected, more a dusting which melts quickly.
I will however have a camera at the ready in hopes the birds are busy at the feeders and on the ground - I love capturing them on snow.
As for these cheeky guys - no matter what Nature brings for weather, they are out there in the ever relentless search for food. We curse them, yell at them, sometimes refuse to fill the bird feeders because the food is so expensive. They can clean out this bird feeder, which probably costs about ten bucks to fill, in two days flat! Of course the birds do get a share, but not all. We do have some feeders which are more difficult for squirrels to hang on to for long before taking a tumble to the ground. Please don't talk about 'squirrel-proof feeders', there is no such thing. I know, I've tried them all!
Have a great weekend no matter the weather.
Hope you, like me, will make time to get out and about
in fresh air - nothing better for head, heart and soul.
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Dear Mary, Maybe your fool proof bird feeder could be a live cat. It works at our house.
ReplyDelete60 degrees! How lovely that would be. Green leaves and sunshine photos look wonderful. Snow here everywhere.
Gina dear - you know I'd love to have a new kitty - if only we didn't travel and have to leave it behind!
DeleteIt is beautiful out now and feels so warm. Off to the theatre this evening so hope it stays comfortable - the chill will be here tomorrow with a low of 18F by Sunday night. Winter at last!!!
Mary -
Just came back in from the fresh air (feeding all the farm animals) and my fingers feel frozen. I'm with you. I don't think the squirrel proof bird feeders exist. The skunks and opossums and raccoons clean up what is left on the ground under the bird feeders at night and right outside my bedroom door.
ReplyDeleteDonna - no skunks smelt lately, but we do get possums often, raccoons now and then which we don't like due to them being rabies carriers, and trying to get into the trash cans at night!
DeleteMary -
http://www.amazon.com/Stokes-Select-38069-Squirrel-Double/dp/B003NTGXF6/ref=sr_1_36?ie=UTF8&qid=1452964436&sr=8-36&keywords=squirrel+proof+bird+feeder
ReplyDeleteI won't speak to you of squirrel proof bird feeders - but here is one I ordered and the squirrels have given up in disgust and quit coming up on the deck to steal seeds because they can't get in.
Haha! I love how it's advertised as 'squirrel-proof' but on the label it says "DETERS grey squirrels"!!!!
DeleteJoAnn I can see trying it for tiny birds who can get inside the cage and who will eat suet cakes, and maybe woodpeckers who can each in with long beaks, but so many birds with short beaks such as our huge population of cardinals, require an easier access to sunflower and other seeds.
I have seen this one in the stores so may try it. Meanwhile our favorite so far (and I'm never going to consider buying the ones that give off an electric charge from batteries - cruel) is this one I showed in an older post -
http://abreathoffreshair-mary.blogspot.com/2013/12/forecast-sunny-but-cold-for-birds.html
The ports close when squirrels try to get on the perch bars so they cannot take seeds - this one worked for a long time but then the closing mechanism wore out and we moved the feeder to the back garden - it's still usable - and luckily just found a new one at ACE Hardware store for the front garden. So far the squirrels are just eating seeds dropped onto the ground below, along with the lovely gentle mourning doves, yeah!
Thanks for the heads up dear.
Mary -
Two squirrels on the feeder at once! Oh, my goodness! A cat would not be the answer as he/she would delight in eating the birds and keeping them scared away. I hope you have some snow and lots of birds tomorrow in the colder weather. We do not have gray squirrels here as we are too far away from the woods, but the occasional fox squirrel shows up and they are really obnoxious.
ReplyDeleteFarm Girl in VA
PS Thank you for your very kind reply on my last comment.
We do have the squirrels to contend with at the bird feeder too. I think we have given in and just watch them all devour birdseed. Now this week there is a hen walking in our alley that is trying to figure out how to get over the fence. She can smell that bird seed waiting for her, but can't quite figure out how to get to it. Oh my, just looked out the window because it went dark - it is pouring rain. Wondering where that hen is hiding.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the dusting! We won't get any here in SC...darn!
ReplyDeleteOh, that's good to know actually about the so called squirrel proof bird feeders as I've been thinking that as soon as all the snow has melted off the needled ground outside I wanted to finally get a feeder. So love watching the birds too. And yes, I remember lots of lovely photos of your incredible garden with birds in the snow, looking so bright and jolly. Looking forward to your snow photos...if it comes! Here, we still have xmas lights on the tree outside. While the snow was off the roads two days or so after the xmas snowstorm, the ground takes longer and we've had another snowfall since then. I don't mind though. In fact, I LOVE snow. Always hoped for it as a kid never to get anything but rain and I think frost a few times.
ReplyDeleteI think that it's so important to feed the wildlife that comes into our garden ..... I don't even mind the squirrels having some of it but they can be a bit greedy to put it mildly !!!! XXXX
ReplyDeleteYou're right Jackie, and although we have a family of about 8 at present, we agree they need to eat too - but not quite so much so often! Notice how healthy they look - we only buy quality variety seed, not cheap stuff full of filler (millet) which most garden birds here don't eat, and in the past year the price has gone way up! I think they know we serve gourmet meals here so we'll never get rid of them, hah!
DeleteThanks for stopping by.
Mary -
Great photos, Mary. I have the little bandits here, too, but I'm rather fond of them There are four and they were born in our maple tree. I've watched them since they were babes so they are welcome here. Nonetheless, they eat too much. I now have Starlings at our feeders and they, too, are bullies. I have watched them attack the chickadees right at the feeder in mid-air. I'll be glad to see them leave.
ReplyDeleteWe don't have feeders in our yard because of rats, but there are still plenty of birds feeding on the berried bushes and pecking away in the garden. A dusting of snow will be very pretty - we're enjoying temps around 11 degrees Celsius (about 51 F) and it's feeling very spring like.
ReplyDeleteOur little Scottie just LOVES to sit on the back of our comfy love seat and watch the squirrels just back and forth from the large pine tree out front to the top of the roof protecting our front door. He's so cute. He could be napping on the floor or playing with his toys but the moment he hears the loud 'thump'...he knows the squirrels are out and playing! :)
ReplyDeleteMary, I have a suggestion you might try. For some reason, this winter I have only two squirrels to contend with. Last spring there were many, but there is a pair of hawks that cruise the woods. That's not my suggestion of how to get rid of the squirrels. LOL. But you might try putting out, on the ground, some dried whole kernels of corn. Most Ace Hardware stores sell it in 5 to 10 lb bags. (1) it takes the squirrels a while to gnaw on the kernels of dried corn, (2) it keeps them on the ground while the birds are at the seed feeder chowing down. Just a suggestion. :-)
ReplyDeleteYour pictures are precious, Mary---just your ability to capture birds and squirrels and all nature andcritters. I do agree about the squirrels. Ours are horrible as we have several walnut trees in our backyard. You'd think that would be enough! But they are relentless the summer and my saving grace is to have my bird feeders near our patio where we and the dogs frequent. Sadly, we get a lot of bird droppings on the patio and that's not pleasant. Can't win.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your snow (or maybe not). There hasn't been a lot of snow here, nor anything to report. But tomorrow we have a deep freeze predicted--- 20 below. We are okay with a well stocked fridge and pantry. Just have to watch the pups, in and out with no time to spare with their little paws. :)
Talk soon about Asheville plans.
Jane x
It's been snowing hard in the mountains of CO for days. Of course, we welcome it and know what to do with it! I was once traveling in TN when it snowed. What a mess - a disaster on the roads, for sure. Hope you got some pretty photos of white.
ReplyDeleteWe had a lovely, cold winter weekend - with some hail. I love winters here. The summer heat can be a bit too much. I also love squirrels. I know they are pests but we have nothing like them over here so, to me, they are just cute little creatures.
ReplyDelete