Tag Archive: feeding the birds

Baby It’s Cold Outside!!

Author: February 20, 2015

Winter is feeling soooo long this year for some reason.  I’m looking forward to my first planted seeds sprouting inside, so maybe seeing that green will push away some of that winter funk.  I shouldn’t really complain.  I do love winter, especially when it snows.  We have our first real snow of the season on the ground right now and it is so pretty out there.  Maybe that’s why it’s dragging though, since up until this week we’ve had the cold, the dreariness and the short days with none of the gorgeous snow to look at and play in.

Anyhoo, I braved the -10 degrees temperature (with the windchill factored in) for about 15 minutes today so that I could try to get some shots of the beautiful assortment of birds we had enjoying our feeder.  I was pretty surprised that my camera even worked as cold as it was.  Brrrr!  I’m going to try again tomorrow to see if I can catch a few more.  My hands and nose started hurting so I figured I needed to get in.

We have been super excited the past couple of days to see Bluebirds in our yard.  We’ve never seen them around our house before.

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Cute little balls of fluff.IMG_1886

I could have taken pictures of them all day if I hadn’t started to freeze.IMG_1894

Mama Cardinal would have preferred to not have had an audience.  She just wanted me to go away so she could eat.IMG_1898

The perfect little model.

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The bird feeder was in the shade at this point, so forgive the crazy bright shot, but I had to share the big woodpecker.  We’ve had lots of little ones, so we love seeing this big one some times.IMG_1910

Mr. Cardinal.  IMG_1916

You can almost feel how cold it was looking at him, can’t you?IMG_1925 IMG_1934

“Are you STILL taking pictures of me lady??  Enough already!”IMG_1937 IMG_1941

Doesn’t this one remind you of a little penguin?  I have no clue what kind of bird it is.  Anyone know?IMG_1952 IMG_1957

Stay warm everyone!!  It’s almost time for gardening posts!  Yipee!!!  🙂

 

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Animals Around the Homestead

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This is for the birds! Seriously!

Author: January 9, 2015

decorate your Christmas tree for the birds I’m sorry!!  This post is coming way later than I meant it to, so I hope you can at least pin it or pack it away for next year.  The moment we got started with this project the rainy weather rolled in and there was not one kid volunteering to play in the rain at these temps.  Smart kids.  Brrrrr.

I don’t know how things go in your house, if you celebrate Christmas, but at mine we had a few years where I had to deal with seriously upset children the day the Christmas tree came down.  I can’t say I blame them.  I miss it when it’s gone too, but the sad faces made me look for a way to turn the whole event into something a little less traumatic.  For all of us.  🙂

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Something you should know about my little gang of short people?  They LOVE feeding and watching the birds.  As we were making peanut butter and birdseed pine cones for the birds it occurred to me that we could hang them on the Christmas tree that was sitting at the edge of the woods waiting to get dragged away.  Then the hamster on the wheel in my head got it really spinning and I asked myself why couldn’t we decorate the whole thing with all kinds of fun, yummy treats for the birds and make a little event out of it.  The kids L.O.V.E. this every year.  It’s become a really fun tradition that we all look forward to.  The tree gets taken down in the house and put up in the yard near our other bird feeders and we go to town making all kinds of “ornaments.”

IMG_1600You can do this with whatever you have around the house.  The birds (and squirrels) love fruits like oranges and apples.  Plus they make the tree so pretty.  We also cover pine cones with peanut butter and birdseed, which we’ve always made every year.

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With a little string or thread you can make some pretty garland out of popcorn and cranberries.

IMG_1595We usually do some strands with just cranberries, but with the weather not cooperating we didn’t get to it all this time.  Maybe in a week or two, after the birds and squirrels have eaten everything, will give it another go.

IMG_1602Be warned, “some” people are only in it for the popcorn.  😉

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Making the ornaments might not have been his thing, but he’s all in when it’s time to decorate.  🙂

IMG_1606Cuz that’s the best part, right?!

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The pine cones are always the biggest hit.

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I love the garland.  🙂

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We’ve had years when it has been decorated more, but it’s still beautiful this year and the birds certainly do love it.  This guy couldn’t wait for a bite.

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I hope you’ll be able to tuck this away for next year.  It’s a great family tradition!

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Fun with the Kids

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