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Where are All the Other Wild Bird Feeders?
Does anyone still feed the birds? Many folks must have cut back or quit feeding them all together due to the high cost of birdseed and tight finances. I’m curious because it seems that every wild bird within a two-mile radius in my backyard! I am going through many types of bird food at an alarming rate. My thistle feeder, which holds almost 3 lbs. of nyjer, gets filled about 3 times a week. A fly-thru platform feeder gets 3 cups of no waste seed per day. A 7 lb. bag of cardinal mix lasts only about one week. And I have to feed the bluebirds nesting in an older birdhouse good food like meal worms and bluebird crumbles. These birds are eating like horses!This is getting rather expensive, luckily warmer weather is starting, and maybe I’ll be able to cut back some too. At least water is cheap, and the birds love it! Just put up the birdbath heaters from winter, so now it’s time for the bird bath misters and drippers. I think my feathered friends have it pretty good around here.
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Earth Day Everyday for Wild Birds
My friend shot this photo in Costa Rica last summer as I had asked for some wild bird photos. The same friend had introduced me to The Surf Rider Organization. At first I thought surfers…what? The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s oceans, waves and beaches for all people, through conservation, activism, research and education.
From their website: “The Surfrider Foundation recognizes that protection of the coastal environment requires protection of an interconnected coastal zone that includes the open ocean, near shore water, beaches, estuaries and coastal watersheds.
The Surfrider Foundation further recognizes while some coastal lands and beaches have been set for permanent protection as wilderness areas, parks, reserves, preserves, conservation areas, and sanctuaries less than one percent of our marine environment has any protected status. Many of our most valued marine areas have already suffered significant damage from pollution, mismanaged fishing practices and coastal development impacts. The Special Places campaign is designed to identify and protect special ocean and coastal places through the establishment of marine protected areas.”
There is a video on their website that will astound you. It show the massive trash pits on our oceans called jires. There are 5 in the world, having to do with ocean currents, it’s where all of the waste in our oceans accumulate. Most of this waste come from land to begin with. Single-use plastic is a major problem, as it breaks down, but never dissolves. With their many water quality analyses, these plastic particles actually outnumber plankton…pretty scary stuff! The fish ingest it, and guess who eats the fish?
I purchased a recycled wild bird feeder a few months back–it came with a lifetime guarantee and looks great. The sticker on the bird feeder was even better saying it reused 33 plastic containers! Just think if everyone would recycle and use recycled products! By the way…the bird feeder was manufactured by BackYard Nature Products.
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The First Hummingbird and Happy Easter
Just wanted to wish all a very Happy Easter Holiday!It saddens me to see that many agricultural-type stores still sell baby chicks and rabbits at Easter. While buying some seed for my many wild bird feeders the other day, I couldn’t help but look in the metal water trough where the chicks were contained. What about the sickly one? Would he make it? Did anyone even care? I found it repulsive, and told the manager about the sick bird, then left the establishment to purchase birdseed elsewhere.
On a much happier note, the first hummingbird was spotted at my feeder yesterday! He must be tired from the long journey, and happy to have found his old feeder ready and waiting on him. Last summer I had two leaf misters set out, and the hummingbirds absolutely loved them. They would play and flit around everyday in the fine mist. I wonder if he was looking for that too? Not quite warm enough yet in Atlanta for that.
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