Sorry! I posted a blue bird observation here....
Marcy
6 years ago
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DawnInCal
6 years ago
tjkeen
6 years agoRelated Discussions
Thieving birds, a further observation
Comments (0)Earlier this year I posted a theory that a sun shade cloth seemed to help cut down birds/squirrels that usually eat my tomatoes. I have further evidence to support that fact this morning. My Brandywine plant sits next to a fence that shades it starting about 4 p.m. so it is not under shade cloth, but I wrap it carefully in bird netting. As it had about 3 large still green fruit on it, I began to get paranoid and took up advice from GW and wrapped each fruit an an opaque bag sealed with a rubber band. This morning, I checked on things and find a pair of really fat looking, common sparrows have managed to get through the bird netting, tear open the plastic bags and proceed to go crazy on the tops of not one, not two, but all 3 remaining fully green maters! They were quite chirpy with me when I picked them anyway. ARG!!!! Oh well, fried green tomatoes tonight. Now, the observation, at the same time and 30 feeet down the way sat cherokee purple and boxcar willie plants both with fruit that is blushing and all untouched. The only protection these guys had was above them I suspended a white sun shade cloth. So, either sparrows have excellent taste and an affinity for Brandywine tomato (possible I'll admit) or the ability to spy tomatoes from up above is critical to their thievery! So, if you have a small number of plants like I do, and all manner of birds, squirrels and who knows what else wants to skip all the hard work and just enjoy the fruits of your labor, consider covering them with sun shade cloth. This is just one year and chance surely could also be at play here, but next year, everyone is getting shade cloth. When it's 100 and they are planted next to my brick house, I'm sure they won't mind the relief, and maybe just maybe, I'll fool those fat, greedy critters!...See MoreHow can I attract blue birds to my yard in the winter?
Comments (12)kendra2 i was surprised to see that you are in MA and in zone 5 and have year round BB's. I am in SW Vermont in zone 4 (or 4B depending on where you look) and have been seeing BB's later and later each year and wondering what is going on as i thought they went south for winter. It is hard to tell from the posts what is happening because not everyone identifies where they are located and what zone they are in but it appears they will overwinter wherever they can. It seems unimaginable that BB's would overwinter in my region because it can go to -20 here at night and be in single digits for days at a time. Typically there is a stretch of 2 or more weeks in winter that don't exceed the teens. These temps are mitigated only slightly till one travels at least 75 air miles to Albany and the lower Hudson valley. Nevertheless, I have seen BB's later and later in the year on nice days until I eventually stopped seeing them in late November. This year I saw groups of BB's around the nest boxes on nice days several times in November and December. On Christmas eve I saw a pair perched near the house going into the snow to pick up something. This weekend is supposed to be in the high 40's and i kind of expect to see them again. So my question is: are they overwintering here or making "day trips" to their nesting grounds and why on earth would they be doing that in such a difficult environment when they could be in Carolina eating fresh fruit and bugs? Lou...See MoreSorry for the 'rant'. More substance here. Noisy fridge.
Comments (10)Well, I'm having a new furnace and water heater installed and not quite ready for a new fridge, especially since... hooray... it appears that I've solved it. ...unless something goes seriously awry in the nest few days. But it's been two days now of utter silence except for the hum of the compressor. I followed the hunch and heated up the lower half of the expansion tube exactly where the stethoscope indicated the bubbling/gurgling (loud enough to hear in the entire house). I shielded the plastic with alum foil then got the expansion tube quite hot (these things are brazed not soldered... right?) but not nearly hot enough to loosen solder in either case, and then rapped on it a dozen sharp whacks using a two foot long 1/2 copper tube using it like a pool cue. I had a couple of heavy bath towels on hand in case of disaster if the tubing cracked or separated, then my options would be pretty clear and I live two miles from Menards and Home Depot. Spoiled food? It's Feb in Michigan. I've already got the food out in the 1.5 acres of refrigerator within my fenceline. (i only needed a cardboard box next to the front door.) What a relief. I've see photos of evaporator coils online with this expansion tube upside down, the tiny end entering from the top. I wonder if that is a better design since any flakes or gumminess or or other can't fall back and nestle into the small side. At least I won't be adding to a landfill for a couple more years. Sorry this is in the wrong section. Apparantly there is a refrigerator section. I missed it....See MoreLooking for post w/ birds/butterflies toile (x-posted)
Comments (7)weedmeister, Exactly! :-) It was such a peaceful, serene print, and tied in beautifully w/ the look I'm going for. I just know someone on here is going to come up w/ it cuz everyone here is so helpful. Thanks, LL, it really is pretty; hopefully I'll find it again and you'll be able to see for yourself. When I saw the post, it was late at night, and I was really needing to get finished up on the computer and get to bed, so I just thought I'd check it out more in depth the next day. No such luck :-(...See More
sjerin
6 years ago
marilyn_c
6 years agoMarcy
6 years ago
murraysmom Zone 6a OH
6 years ago
Iris S (SC, Zone 7b)
6 years agomurraysmom Zone 6a OH
6 years agoJoanEileen
6 years agoMarcy
6 years agoHere's one of the bluebird nests from Saturday. The other one looks pretty much identical.
DawnInCal
6 years agoIris S (SC, Zone 7b)
6 years agohounds_x_two
6 years agoMarcy
6 years agoHere's a freshly hatched cardinal. They built their nest in a potted tropical hibiscus tree next to the screen porch. I knew it was too low to the ground but hoped for the best....
DawnInCal
6 years agogreenshoekitty
6 years agomarilyn_c
6 years agoMarcy
6 years agoHere are the cardinals about a week later.
Then again a few days later still. Feathers are really coming in now, and they're extremely vocal. They've grown so much since they were tiny featherless babies They were nearly filling the nest.
The next morning they were gone......... the nest was still perfect, no blood or pinfeathers anywhere. Then we saw a chicken snake in the yard that afternoon. I knew the nest was low and unprotected. But it sure made me sad to see the empty nest after watching them build it from the screen porch. Every day they were busy building, then incubating, then feeding, then poof! Gone.Iris S (SC, Zone 7b)
6 years ago
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MarcyOriginal Author