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Could You Handle a Silent Sky? Songbird SOS
Perhaps it’s the name, or maybe the message: songbirds are in decline, some will remain, some will disappear.
Sure we’ve all heard it before, wild animals in peril, elephants, tigers, lions rhinos… but birds? One wouldn’t think so, except science confirms the facts. What is it about waking each day to birdsong? Or stealing a few moments at the window with binoculars in hand? An escape, a connection with nature. It’s calming, it’s universal, it’s necessary – because everything in life IS connected.
A few years ago, Defenders of Wildlife did a short video on Clark’s Nutcrackers and their role in the ecosystem. Should this bird disappear, or any others for that matter, there are simply no answers as to environmental impacts. No control-Z, no undo, extinction is forever.
The Messenger is an indie documentary seeking funding for its completion. A wake-up call for the masses, the film not only deserves support, its message is critical. For the environment, for future generations… for the birds, please help get the message out. No amount is too small to help fund the project!
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What Constitutes Exceptional Service?
In 2008 they said “you should give something away when starting out”. So, hand written notes and killer freebies for the birds were included with first few hundred orders… and the next few hundred, and yes, even the next few thousand! Today as standard practice, we still do this whenever possible – because we enjoy doing so. Free gift wrap when possible… you bet! Do these things constitute exceptional service? Of course not!
Last month houzz awarded thebirdhousechick.com “best of” for exceptional service. Totally unexpected and awesome at the same time, it’s rewarding being recognized. Unlike most large companies, this boutique still goes above and beyond on a daily basis. It’s not rocket science, we simply want to see you again… and again! As companies grow, systems become automated, eyeballs are lost, and nothing is personal. You and your order become a number. And that’s perfectly acceptable in today’s marketplace, just a model we’ve never had much interest in adopting. It’s the difference between a boutique and volume-selling. Thank-you’s and gifts FROM our customers have appeared, and phone calls with ecstatic voices on the other end too. So, it’s not always about the money, but a passion for the craft of proprietorship!
Whether giant or tiny, companies can choose stand-up ethics when dealing with customers or plain cheese! The past week seems to have run the gamut in dealing with a few owners/businesses that deserve huge cheers or jeers… here goes!
Whirlpool/KitchenAide: JEERS
If you tell me a part costs $16, that’s fine, even when you tell me no that’s a mistake-the part is $19… that’s okay too. Proceeding to inform me the part is “subbbed-out” and costs $46 is not cool at all. In fact it’s maddening, that’s why I hung up. If we ran our business that way, we wouldn’t have a business. I’ll be sure the next appliances are LG!Pinebush Home & Garden: CHEERS
After placing an order with one of our vendors, an item showed up on sale a few days later… at half price. I called them since we hadn’t even taken delivery yet, and you know what? They honored the sale price by adding 15 more feeders to our order! They could’ve just easily said “sorry” but did the right thing. Thanks Pinebush… really do appreciate the way you choose to business, it’s quite refreshing, and you can bet we’ll remain loyal to the brand!Zeusvision: JEERS
In fact, a big fat jeers for false advertising! After being solicited to write a blog post about their launch (in exchange for advertising), it never happened. Artwork was requested, the ad set to run in February… but never did. When questioned about status, this cheesy guy couldn’t even be bothered to respond. Hey, Giovanni… you suck and so does your stupid rolling ads company! Your links have been removed by the way as well.
Speaking of links… just got to get this last one out there, then all venting is complete. Because the almighty Google considers back links an important factor in ranking websites, a popular new scam is the happening thing. Your website link gets placed in all kinds of irrelevant, crappy places, then when you ask for the link to be removed… money is required to do so. Cut me a personal break, Mr. Morin of talk-sports dot com: BIG FAT JEERS
You get lumped in with good ol’ Giovanni above. Here’s the reply received, and a link if want to send the guy some money 🙂“It requires additional effort on our part to remove links. We can do
this for $50. Please pay using the following PayPal link.”
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=VWBCEZ2TEK4CYMy big question is how does Google not see this scam happening?
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The Late Frenzy Around Thistle Feeders
It’s an invasion of goldfinches… and pine siskins, and red polls and warblers and lots of other birds too lately! With the extreme cold weather, thistle feeders are being emptied at record rates, even Atlanta saw some of the white stuff, with more expected on Tuesday.Birds seem ravenous around all of the feeders, and rightly so – it’s freakin’ freezing out there! With blustery winds and 12 degree temps a few days ago, my hands were not only numb… they actually hurt upon finishing the A.M. feeding routine. Placing them over a hot burner on the stove, then under hot water, I felt fairly sure it was frostbite 🙁
So how do they do it? Fragile, tiny little birds surviving the most frigid conditions, day in and day out? I don’t know! Looking like puff balls, their feathers do trap heat for one survival tactic, and if they constantly eat all day, they’re able
to store enough calories (energy) to hold them through the night. And yes, they can eat snow but it takes energy to convert it to liquid. Their daily struggle’s got to get old in these brutal winter conditions? Cardinals, bluebirds, woodpeckers, phoebes, a lone mockingbird, chipping sparrows and all the other usual suspects abound… and yet with snow on the ground!But it’s really just instinct when you think about it. Mother Nature equips all beings with this basic survival mode. She also equips some of us with the lunacy that the birds won’t make it unless you put food out twice a day… and have 3 heated birdbaths readily available 🙂 But we do it not only for the birds, but for our own satisfaction of feeling like we helped, and the simple joy derived from watching them.
Should you reside anywhere old man winter’s got a death grip… please look out for feathered friends!Keep feeders filled (and clean). Larger than normal bird populations crowding feeders is one way disease is spread.
Offer fresh water, birds will flock to a heated bath. You can purchase a heater separately and add it to your existing bath or even a shallow pan of water.
Put out extra suet, easily make your own, form into cakes for suet cages, or crumbles for platform or dish feeders. High fat foods that are easy to digest serve birds well in freezing weather.
Peanuts are ideal, as is plain old peanut butter. We smear some right on a tree trunk! Nuthatches, woodpeckers and warblers love it.
Add an extra thistle sock for the crowds of finches. Relatively inexpensive, the black mesh thistle feeders are stronger and generally more durable than most.
Stay safe and warm… and please feed the birds 🙂
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