One reader expressed marvel at my bird habitat activities. She lives in the People's Paradise of California, with all its complications.
I do not spend much time or money on that hobby, but I get a lot of entertainment. For example, she wrote about providing nectar for hummingbirds and getting wasps as a result. Lots of wasps. An invasion.
I planted bushes for the hummingbirds, investing about $4.50 in all three, which grew and sprouted an abundance of orange blossoms. That was in Phoenix.
I can buy bird nest fluff balls from Duncraft, to help birds build their nests. Instead I have dogs who shed their own fluff for the birds to use.
I have been bringing popcorn back from the movie theater for 30 years, putting me in the awkward position of keeping my relatives from eating it all. My last attempt at feeding the birds popcorn, on the window sill, ended up with all three dogs coming in reeking of popcorn. The sill was low, so they discovered it right away.
I thought Sassy would be good at eating the loose popcorn out of the Ichaboat, but she would not vacuum it for me. I gathered it in my hands and tossed it in the bushes. Sassy went into the bushes and ate the popcorn there. If Sassy senses I am a little peeved at her, she hangs her tongue out in a grin, "Don't you just love me?"
The newly planted roses got a perfect rainstorm, last night and most of today. I always watch the feeders to see how the birds are reacting to a storm. They normally come out in droves before a storm and stay in during the storm. This time they also came out in the worst rain, perhaps signaling that the rain would last a long time.
I have a good mix for the birds at two locations, both near windows. Each one has suet, sunflower seeds, Nyjer, and water. The squirrels may raid the sunflower seeds. So far they are content with the corn on the cob. I know squirrels and most birds love sunflower, but I gambled anyway because Bruce Church reminded me of how stunning a feeding cardinal can be.
Another solution is to raise a field of sunflowers. I am buying the giant Russian sunflower seeds and planting them in the sunniest locations. They can create some comical scenes, with squirrels riding the heads, bopping back and forth, eating the blossoms and later the seedheads.
If you doubt the abundance God provides, count the seeds on one Russian sunflower (striped seeds).
