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Friday, January 6, 2017

Acorn suet and remembering Tink.

Here is another idea for feeding your birds this winter. I bought this to use as a model to make my own. Start with a large pine-cone and tie a piece of covered wire to it.Then shape home-made suet over it and roll it in some peanuts on top. This makes a really cute addition to your feeding area. So cheap; home-made suet can be as simple as lard, seed and peanut butter or you can fancy it up with corn meal, oats, flour & fruit such as cranberries, apples or raisins. I add Cheerios and Shreddies, too, to make it go further.
 Of course, the chickadees were first to find it.



Someone is anxiously awaiting the arrival of those plump and delicious-looking mourning doves.  She really, really, really wants one with all the trimmings. ;-)
                                   "on a sesame seed bun."
                           Or a can of stinky goodness will do.

This little bird house at the back of our property is covered in snow and vacant 'til spring. Then I hope we have another little family move in. 
Last year it was Mr. & Mrs. House Wren. I was so excited it was ridiculous. :) It was the first time I have ever had a bird nest in a bird house.
She looked like this...
Adorable, right?
I named her Tink.

The male arrived last summer first and placed twigs in different houses. Then soon after, she arrived, and after checking out the different possibilities, she chose the little white house that was adorned with ten blue jewels.
She obviously settled on the flashiest house in the neighbourhood.

She sang her little heart out
and made gardening all the better. :)
I hope she returns this summer.
I'll be watching for her.

It is -17C tonight.
God bless and keep our wild-life safe and warm.

hugs, Deb

16 comments:

  1. It is -17 degrees here too ! We warmed up to 7 degrees above freezing this afternoon. Our bird houses look like yours, covered in snow. Your pictures make me smile with joy. I love your bird pictures and Tink is adorable. I hope she comes back to her fancy house too.

    Watching cats watching birds is one of my favorite things to do. Seeing a cat twitch and tremble at the sight of a bird outside the window is better than watching television.

    What a good idea for homemade suet balls, Shreddies !

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  2. We had a wren family nest in our little bird house a few years ago. Mr and Mrs Wren reared three little ones and one day after they had been fledged for about a week Mum and Dad brought them back to the tree opposite the little house on the wall just as if to say 'and this is where you came from' - we never saw them again, although there are wrens in the garden from time to time. I do hope Tink returns to you this year. Stay warm:)

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  3. HeHe! You should put a little thing that
    'rings' outside the bird~box Deb...Then you
    could call her...'Tinkerbell'...! Oh! Dear! :).

    Oh! Audrey!x I've just finished plucking, cleaning,
    a couple brace of pheasants..wish l could sent you
    a couple nice breasts for you dinner...with ALL the
    trimmings! :0). Never mind..keep your eye on those
    doves! And, should'nt they be black..if their in
    mourning! Cooooooo! :).

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  4. I like that acorn suet :)
    The chickadees here would love that too :)
    Thanks for the squirrel yi[.
    I am pretty sure they would love peanuts in the shell ;)
    We got our first real snow last night and now a storm coming
    for Saturday night.
    The landscape looks clean and white and pretty :)
    Nancy and the kitties

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  5. Lovely photos . Great idea for the suet but keep in mind that the peanuts used should not be salted or the peanut butters , as salt dehydrates birds , some who feed the birds may not realize this just a bit of birdie info . I am so excited every time our little Wren shows up her name is Molly she is soo cute . I am soo looking forward to spring . Thanks for sharing , Have a good weekend !

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  6. That pine cone is adorable. Lard is on this week's shopping list. I don't even know how to buy lard -- is it in the meat department? I will learn! And I love the chickadees. Why covered wire, though? Wouldn't any strong wire do, or is the color to attract?

    I had a little wren last year too -- Wrennie. I hope another family moves into the nest. They built in a decorative bird house (vs. one designed to have the bottom removed) so that nest is there forever! Save some bird a lot of work. I loved the birdsong and watching the progress one stick at a time but never saw the babies come. I think it was because I was on the road. I hope so.

    Stay cozy -- it's grim out there!

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  7. I thought it was the male wrens that sang from the houses...calling for a mate to come join him. Whatever she/he is...it's an adorable bird and one of my favorites!

    I love that suet acorn! How adorable! Those would make really cute gifts, wouldn't they?

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  8. . . . . . . and we think it's cold here!!! -17C is very cold and guess what, we also are due for very cold temps these next few days on top of last night's icy storm, and now this morning's snow fall! Winter is here at last!

    Don't worry, I'm sure Tink will survive - these tiny wrens are very smart and know how to find warm places. My pair are here nightly sleeping in those now dead hanging Boston ferns on the front porch again. I have to leave them every year because they always return at sunset and fly into the baskets! At daybreak I hear them awake noisily and fly off for the day in the garden.

    Snowing now - I took some pix this morning and have posted them here -

    http://abreathoffreshair-mary.blogspot.com/2017/01/today-is-disappointing.html

    Stay cozy - hugs, Mary

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  9. The wee Wrens are my favorites too Deb...oh well...except of course for the Chick-a-dee-dee-dees!
    I love to listen to their song while out at the cottage...
    Have a great weekend...
    Cheers!
    Linda :o)

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  10. It does look cold there, Deb. As for the little white bird house, I would punch a hole in the snow (by the doorway)... just in case someone wanted a warm place to jump into??

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  11. Oh, that is sure cold! We have been a bit warmer - but not by much. Everything is frozen solid. The suet 'acorn' is so cute but I'll bet it didn't stay that way for long! I do hope that Tink comes back. We have wrens here in the summer, too, but I didn't know they would nest in a birdhouse. I need to hang a few up, I think. Audrey has such hilarious thoughts! Keep warm! Hugs xx Karen

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  12. I miss feeding the birds, but our outdoor cats are avid hunters and it doesn't seem fair to lure in victims for them.

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  13. Hi Deb! I think maybe Tink had fun! You had better watch out as Audrey will want her own house! Thanks for popping in to see me.
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia ;)

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  14. Love Tink, such a cute bird. I had a male and now I am seeing the male and female.

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