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Monday, December 28, 2015

Let's help our birds this winter.

Chickadees are among the easiest birds to lure into your yard, especially during winter. Here are a few tips to help attract them:
  • Put out sunflower seeds, either in the shell or cracked. They have a high fat content, essential to the birds’ winter survival, and are a favorite food of all chickadee species.
  • Almost any bird feeder will attract chickadees, but they seem to be especially comfortable eating from a tube feeder.
  • Chickadees will frequent yards that have adequate natural cover near feeders, giving the birds an area to hide quickly when threatened, as well as a protected night roost.
  • A small birdhouse with a 1 1/4-inch entrance hole, placed in heavy natural cover, may provide both a winter roost and summer nesting site for chickadees.

After reading the above on google,  I added a few bird houses to the brush at the front. Maybe, just maybe, it will help a wee chickadee survive the cold nights in Ontario. They may use them not only for the warmth but for the safety from the local hawks that frequent our property.

Audrey has been a busy girl sniffing out the dog that we have been caring for. Our grand-dog, Forrest, came to the mouse house for two days while my daughter travelled. It was nice to have him here although he had to stay in the garage because he is a worry around strange cats. And we all know Audrey falls in that category. He didn't mind though. He had his own couch to sprawl out on and
he was with the retired-guy most of the time. They enjoyed a few drives in the van and many walks around the property. He was fun to care for...did us good.

This is off the Cats in windows website.  There is a lot of that going on around here today. Looks a bit like Audrey, don't you think?
  =^..^= =^..^= =^..^=
Pop over and enjoy. https://web.facebook.com/Catslookingoutofthewindow/?fref=photo

I hope you are enjoying the days after Christmas.
hugs, Deb 


15 comments:

  1. Your grand-dog is very handsome! Enjoy these quiet days after Christmas.
    Purrs and hugs....

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  2. Forrest...love the name! And he's so beautiful!
    And look at your snow! Lucky you!

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  3. Good info on Chickadees.
    My tube type feeder is next to a large rhododendron
    and they love it :) May be a good area for a birdhouse I have.
    Forrest is cute.
    Nancy and the kitties

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  4. Lizzie and I have been seeing a lot of chickadees in our feeder, along with purple finches, woodpeckers, sparrows, cardinals and something with a very pointy beak like a woodpecker but smaller and gray. My bird book is no help. Thanks for the good tips. May Audrey survive her cousin? Grand cousin?

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  5. One of my goals this year is to get a bird feeder that I can see out my window. I'm home and picked up Charlie today. He did great at the Vets. I'm so happy to have him here with me snuggled close all day.
    hugs,
    Linda

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  6. Always nice to see all the feathered and furry friends you have surrounding you! Your Grand-dog is a very handsome fellow. Chickadees are so sweet and friendly - I just love going outside and hearing them chatter. Thanks for the tips - I need to get some birdhouses for them! Hugs xo Karen

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  7. that was good info, we don't have those birds here plus i don't like feeding the natives otherwise they always expect it & there are just too many birds here especially parrots. i prefer to try & get some native trees growing, which is proving more difficult than i thought it would be, have replaced several though this lot seem to be doing much better this year. some of the birds like to clean up after the chickens. though i wouldn't mind some bird boxes around the place as many are hard pressed to find natural hollowed out trees because they keep getting cut down, i left the 2 trees i ringed barked up & they should soon have hollows forming.
    your family looked like they had a wonderful time catching up, they all seemed so relaxed.
    Forest is a lovely looking dog, can relate to taking cautions with your cats.
    glad you had a wonderful xmas
    thanx for sharing

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  8. I have a ton of Chickadees this winter feeding on the black oil sunflower seeds. I must get a few birdhouses to put up for them - thanks for that tip! Your little grand-puppy is adorable!!

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  9. Here is Summer but I still love your post & idea. I have plume tree in the backyard. They always came to enjoy the fruits even on the ground and I was there ! No drama.. I didn't even move.
    Happy Holiday & Happy New Year
    xox

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  10. I think chickadees make up about 1/2 our bird feeder population. They are such cheerful, brave little souls! They have been the real beneficiaries of our new squirrel-proof feeders.
    Sounds like you had a happy Christmas Deb. I'm really glad to have met you this year, and look forward to being blog friends in 2016! xo Deborah

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  11. Your grand-dog looks like a grand dog indeed. I'm sure he's the sort who enjoys meeting new people, and probably liked the visit. I hope your Christmas continues happily.

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  12. We make sure to feed our desert birds during drought and winter. We even put some suet out this time, because our birdies are quite unused to the cold. Our local fox ate it, however, so we put cornmeal and peanut butter mush out in the trees, and put some catfood out for the fox and our feral cats who stop by.

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  13. My parents always fed the birds and squirrels at their retirement home. I'd feed them, too, but I live in an apartment complex. Management seriously frowns upon feeding birds as it attracts too many pigeons.

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