Wonderful! It's terrific that you're providing such nice resources for wildlife. I love it. I'm super envious too, as I love bees and hornets/wasps. In my last garden, I had a slow-drip water water feature that always had bees drinking from it and I loved it. In my current place (in Scottsdale not too far from the old one) I do get quite a few bees, but they only visit the flowers and not the several birdbaths I keep filled. Grrrr. I'm envious. Oh way, I already said that. Well, it's true! Great post and pic, thanks for sharing it!

Kathy -- when I went back out, I decided that BOTH nests look like they are primarily twigs, though there certainly are some more grass-like pieces as well as a few small seedheads (maybe dried sedum?) in the second one (it's also not as deep). I pulled out the one that was clearly all twigs (had a very deep "cup" in the middle but no eggs), but I left the other because I just wasn't sure. Here are the two pictures: first is the all-twig one that I removed today (how well do I need to clean out the box? I think there are a few twigs on the floor since I didn't have a brush with me). The second is the other box. Just a note: these two boxes are fairly close together because last year we had tree swallows and I had read that tree swallows and bluebirds will "share" space if there are two boxes. Swallows won't let another swallow pair nest nearby but will leave the bluebirds if they want the other house. I think what I read (on Audubon site or somewhere) was to put the two boxes about 10-15 feet apart. I know that's not what you do if you want actual bluebirds to use them both, but we were hoping to keep a pair of bluebirds in the one if the swallows returned this year (those swallows are GORGEOUS birds, too!)

Carolyn--glad to hear from you and yes this weather is doing a number on nests, birds and people. Guess you have heard about all the flooding in Minot. It has been so interesting driving there. I have had to go in twice a week for therapy on my back after slipping early March on ice. NOT FUN!! Anyway, I think I too have lost a nest from a Robin, but not sure it is crows or a neighbors cat. Dumb bird just would not stay on the nest and keep quiet. It is a wonder that any Robins make it. I don't have the houses out that you due, even though son in law said I could. He has been so busy with DD getting chemo treatments, his work in the city, late snows etc. Oh well, there is always next year. We just barely got the garden in. Thanks for keeping us updated. Marie from the other end of ND.

The question it sounds like you're asking doesn't really work. It's like asking if King Arthur bread flour will work in the bread machine. The responses will all be questions about what kind of bread machine with which settings, and what recipe are you using. If you're using the machine as a mixer, yes, you can make bread with Cup 4 Cup, but kneading is unnecessary. Mix it and go right to the rising/proof cycle. Will it work in the particular recipe you have in mind? What's the recipe? As we've said above, you probably need to adjust it. Do a Google search and you'll find bloggers who've made gluten free bread successfully in their bread machines. You generally need a binder in gluten free baking. The difference between Cup 4 Cup and other gluten free flour blends is that it already contains the xanthan gum, which makes things stick together, so you don't have to do calculations and conversions when adding it to your cake recipe. There's more to it with yeast rising, however, and you'll likely need some modifications. The description of original (blue bag) Cup for Cup from their website: Cup4Cup’s Original Multi-Purpose Flour has the taste, texture and performance of regular flour and is useful in almost all baking and cooking recipes that do not require yeast. Substitute 1:1 for regular flour into your favorite recipes for homemade cookies, cakes and cupcakes, quick breads, pie crust, gravy and sauces, scones, muffins – even homemade pasta! Cup4Cup lets you concentrate on the fun of baking gluten-free without having to worry about altering other ingredients. Enjoy all those family recipes you’ve missed for so long, and have fun creating new ones at the same time. On their FAQs page: Can I make bread with the Cup4Cup Original Flour? The Cup4Cup Original blend is most similar in composition to all-purpose or pastry flour, making it suitable as a replacement for regular flour in recipes for cakes, cookies, muffins, pies, biscuits, quick breads, sauces, in pasta dough and as a coating for frying. We do not recommend Cup4Cup as a gluten-free flour replacement in bread recipes that require yeast. This is because Cup4Cup lacks the structure and composition to mimic the rise and texture of yeast-based wheat breads. With that, making bread with Cup4Cup is not impossible; it’s just that the recipe will require some modifications and experimentation. For example, we have been able to modify a brioche recipe and develop Brioche Rolls using Cup4Cup. If you would like the recipe for our Brioche Rolls please visit our Recipe section.