DID YOU KNOW

There are over 30 different species of birds that will nest in a birdhouse? These include many that frequent your back yard. Some of these types of birds are the house wren, chickadee, tufted titmice, nuthatches, bluebirds, purple martins, wood duck and screech owls. With a little research one can set up multiple birdhouses of different types to attract many of these birds. House wrens can fit into a birdhouse with a 1 1/8" hole, whereas chickadees, nuthatches, and titmice can fit into a birdhouse with a 1 1/4" hole (http://birdhouseaccents.etsy.com). The blue bird needs a 1 1/2" hole birdhouse, the purple martin a 2" entry hole, wood ducks and screech owls need a 3" to 4" oval entry hole.

With a little knowledge as to the dimensions of a birdhouse, how high to place one, what types of species enjoy what types of food and when the nesting season begins, one can make their yard a popular place for all types of birds.

More Snow

Some people may say that there is never too much snow, we would have to disagree. The month of January here in Connecticut set a new record for snowfall. The old snowfall record from the year 1945 was set at 45.3" and this months record snowfall is at 56.9".

It seems like we just get a chance to shovel out and there is another storm. They are predicting one for the middle of next week, but are reluctant to say just how many inches we will receive, but it will be significant.

We have two primitive snowmen and santa claus wooden yard stakes that we place out in the yard for winter decorations. Check out the little snowman who is 36" tall.

In this picture Fred moved them to a better spot.

Hairy Woodpecker

It is bitterly cold today. The temperature on the thermometer outside on the shed reads 16 degrees. It it deceiving with the sun shining on the snow because it looks much warmer outside than it really is.

We were sitting here this morning looking out the sliding glass windows when Fred spotted a Hairy Wooodpecker on the peanut seed feeder. He was perched there and pecking away at the peanuts.

These types of woodpeckers frequent back yards often and in the winter look for suet, peanuts, sunflower seeds, and peanut butter. During the summer months their diet consists of insects, larvae, fruit, and nuts.

Its not the best picture but we wanted to share it with you. He caught on real quick as to what we were trying to do and didn't stick around.

Let It Snow

We are sitting here in New England looking at 30" of snow that has fallen over the past 12 hours. Fred has been shoveling on and off, roads have been closed, most folks did not go to work today.

I have been watching a squirrel for the past five minutes jump from tree branch to tree branch. It seems that even these type of weather conditions do not deter them in any way.

Now more than ever it is extremely important to feed the birds. A good source of food to help them stay warm and gives them energy is beef suet. Ask your local butcher, many give this away free.

Thistle seed and safflower seed will attract gold finches, cardinals, nuthatches and chickadees. Try to stay away from sunflower seeds, corn and millet as this attracts birds that will empty your birdfeeder faster than you can blink an eye.

Feeding The Birds

It is that time of year again when the birds need a little help from us. One way we can do this is by hanging up a variety of feeders that will attract different species of birds. Birds need food and water to survive. This includes drinking and bathing water.

We just put up our tube feeders for the winter. One holds thistle and the other sunflower seeds. Chickadees, nuthatches and finches are generally attracted to these types of feeders. Suet feeders are a good source of food for woodpeckers. We have one hopper feeder we fill with birdseed for cardinals. Our feeders are eye level and hang in the trees.

A shallow birdbath sits at the edge of the yard. We fill it with approx. 2" of water and change the water frequently. Birds like clean water to drink from so get into the habit of cleaning your birdbath.

The main idea is to make the birds feel at home, safe and feel protected from any predators. Once you have done this, you can sit back and enjoy bird watching.

Birdhouse Cleaning

We cleaned out many of our birdhouses over the weekend. Many we hung back up for the birds to seek shelter in for the upcoming winter. Others we are storing in the shed until spring. We were pleasantly surprised as to how many of our birdhouses were in use over the spring and summer.

It is so interesting to see how the little birds build their nests and what they use. We have given some of the best nests to a friend of ours who collects them. Thought we would share a picture or two of one of the last bird family of wrens we had before they left. Fred took the pictures and two days later the house was empty. Can't wait until next year!

Fund Raiser

We are happy to be a part of the Connecticut Center for Child Development which is a non-profit organizagtion helping to better the lives of autisitic children and adults and individuals with other pervasive developmental disorders. The organization is located in Milford, CT and will be hosting a dinner, dancing, and silent auction on November 6, 2010.

We have donated one of our birdhouses to this important event. All proceeds will support the new Adult Day Services Program for adults with developmental disorders.

We wish them much success! To learn more about them please click on the link below:

http://cccdinc.org/