I have been feeding the birds for only 1 year. I have a small tube feeder with BOSS and a Suet Log. I also throw some peanuts and seed on the ground under large evergreens. I noticed that there were fewer birds on the feeders when the weather turned mild and all the snow melted last week. Now that we have 8 inches of compressed frozen snow on the ground, the birds are flocking around the feeders again. I assume this is because 1) they cannot forage for food on the ground with the snowcover and 2) there is no insect activity when the temperature is this cold. Here are photos of the Suet Log with some of the birds that visited on Friday (the day of the storm). The first two pics show a Fox Sparrow with Junco(s). The second two pics each show five different species of birds on the Suet Log at the same time. In general, the birds really love to perch on the branches I glued into the top of the log. It was a very busy day for birds that day! :)

We had daily visits from cardinals immediately after hanging our new birdfeeder this spring. Unfortunately, we also attracted all the neighborhood squirrels, english (?) sparrows, and rats! We gave up on the birdfeeder after the squirrels killed two plants underneath and pulled the birdfeeder down; it was a good try. Now our fountain attracts a pair of catbirds and the sparrows daily, the cardinals occasionally, and a pair of doves just recently. One of the pools in the fountain seems to be just the right depth for baths! The rats seem to have moved in under our porch despite the removal of the feeder, where we piled some bricks and rocks from garden excavations. Apparently we need to clear it all out to convince the rats that not only will we not feed them, but we won't house them, either. Sigh. Our campaign to attract birds continues, however. We just replaced some sad-looking lilacs by our porch (moved them elsewhere) with Black Beauty elderberry, which we are hoping will contribute to a bird feast this fall. We also just added a blue princess holly and her prince, and a couple of low-bush blueberries. Susan

I'm guessing it must be house sparrows; no other sparrows come in such large numbers. There is no food that house sparrows will not eat including nyjer and especially black oil sunflower seeds. They really like BOSS. They eat the nyjer seed as well; it's just not as easy for them to get at because of the small holes. I know as I have lots of HOSP so the only solution for me was active control of HOSP. Now I have their numbers under control and I have had other song birds galore that I never really saw much of before. I live in an urban area and have a small yard. I used to get overrun with HOSP because they seem to love the area I live in. Even -35 in the winter doesn't deter them. They are very hardy and adaptable. They will eat anything put out.

I, too, have been reading about your family, your plans, and your challenges, and, like everyone else, I'm looking forward to seeing your After pics! I am no decorator myself. I have been doing the same thing you are--reading magazines, library books, and mostly online to figure things out. There are quizzes you can take, too, that might help you define your style. Once you know what you want, keep reminding yourself what that is, and don't let yourself wander too much from the plan. Stick to your guns! We just rebuilt our home after a total loss due to a fire and have not had much left for furnishings. We have had to buy just a few brand new things. Mostly, though, we've been having lots of fun acquiring nice things at bargain prices by searching for, bargaining for, and buying well-built items from Craigslist, Goodwill, Salvation Army thrift stores, auctions, antique stores, estate sales, yard sales, and junk stores. We inspect things thoroughly to see what they're made of and how they're made, and to see if we can refinish or paint them. I think we're ending up with better things than we could get if we bought all new stuff from a furniture store. (And it's sort of like a treasure hunt, lol.). Good luck!! I'm definitely going to be watching for your posts!