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Happy Winter Solstice and Last Holiday Gifts
And Happy Winter Solstice! The shortest day of the year… with the most to accomplish in the least amount of time! But the days do get longer- yes please!
Busy holiday times can be harrowing, the gift list is still incomplete, traffic is absurd, weather is frightful, yada, yada, yada! If you’ve waited until now to order anything online, chances may be slim for Christmas delivery, or extremely expensive for an expedited service. Don’t fret, because good things really do come in small packages!
If they happen to fancy birds, a birdbath heater or heated birdbath will be a huge hit… for the birds! They’ll flock to a fresh water source in frigid weather, showering the recipient with some really big shows! Should a heater not quite cut it as the perfect present, a gift certificate will let them shop and choose their favorite birdbath too!
Separate solar fountains can be added to their own existing birdbath, bringing a new dimension to the birding thing. Birds adore moving water and many different species are attracted to it big time… even those who may not use birdhouses or feeders.
Another gift idea:
Hummingbird Sun Catchers are an easy ship, decorative for their home, made in Canada and done in hand-blown glass. Stunning when hung in front of a window, mesmerizing as they twinkle while catching light. A collector’s piece to cherish, pretty enough to be passed down through generations
.Head on over to our other gift guide, it seems to have gotten a bit further along than this one, and just about everything shown there is available and in stock here!
And if you happen to be local in the Atlanta area… then luck just struck!
Give us a call to come shop… we’re stocked with birdbaths, edible birdhouses, copper roof bird feeders, and lots of other cool garden whimsies. The very best gifts for the nature buff on your list!
Breathe and Feed the Birds… we have those Garden Art Poles too!
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Hacks for a Bird Feeder Bracket
Versatility is really the name of the game when it comes to wild bird feeding accessories. For any investment, you want it to last and you want it for year-round use (should resident birds stick around your locale).Well, these bird feeder brackets aren’t just for feeders! Several types of quality hardware brackets offer options to entice birds year round; with food in winter or fresh water in sweltering heat.
This long-reach deck-mounted bracket holds a mister out over the front porch in summer. The arm swivels making it simple to redirect the water every few days. The garden below has grown amazingly lush, and birds & butterflies both adore the mister’s gentle spray. Adult birds will fly through soaking up water in their wings and return to the nest cooling off babies. Pretty cool really… both literally and figuratively!
Round Bird Feeder Brackets like these also attach to a deck or porch rail. If the kitchen sink happens to be at a window overlooking the deck- then bam… you’ve got the ultimate window feeder too! The bracket’s perfect for a birdbath as well. No that’s not a potato, it’s a large rock used to weight down the copper bowl. Any idea how many people ask if that’s a potato?
There are also brackets you can easily attach to an existing pole system. The extra arm allows for hanging 2 or 3 more feeders (or a bird bath).
Just because something is packaged/labeled a certain way doesn’t mean you can’t use it for something else. Wild bird feeding can include trial & error whether you’re just starting out or have been at it for years. Squirrels raiding the feeder? Move it and learn about baffles. No takers in your birdbath? Change the water more often and add some rocks for easy footing. Finches not eating thistle seed? Change it… it’s likely old & stale or worse, moldy. Stuff like this makes a world of difference to birds and your bird-watching enjoyment!
Experimenting and being innovative is part of the fun… because when you’re successful, the rewards are so worth the time & effort! Just feed the birds for some additional happiness in your world. See below (from the Auk-ward)
for solid proof 🙂 -
Grab an Ant Moat to Help Keep Nectar Fresh
You may have noticed increased activity at your hummingbird feeders because the “crazies” are upon us! The downward stretch to summer’s end, when the tiny sprites are gearing up for Southern migration. As the slower traffic at feeders and nesting come to an end, hummingbirds are busy getting as fat as they can for the long journey home.
Ant moats may or may not be critical to your hummingbird feeder’s popularity. Simply put, it takes just one ant in nectar to ruin the party! The good-for-nothing pests must emit something extremely nasty for hummers to ignore sweet nectar… especially when you’ve just changed it and hung a sparkly clean feeder. It’s so annoying!
Avoid the headache and try an ant moat if you don’t use them yet. This minimal investment will yield big results, but you mustn’t let water evaporate for moats to function properly. One hack is to add a drop of salad oil to the water because it slows evaporation in extreme heat.
But other songbirds (for some strange reason) enjoy drinking from the moats! It’s rather strange when six birdbaths, two misters and a bubbler fountain are part of the garden habitat… we know this first-hand! Here’s a clever ant moat that works in a completely different fashion- by eliminating the evaporation process. you fill it just once or twice per month! It’s called the Detourant and looks like this:
Although other songbirds won’t be able to sip from it, this ant moat just about guarantees pest-free nectar for your hummingbirds… year after year and for many seasons to come! And if hummingbirds are still passing by your feeder without partaking – for pete’s sake… please change the nectar 🙂
Birding Tips, Information & News
for solid proof 🙂
