Ever since reading an article that says birds have a 60% better chance of making it through the winter with help from people, our new family hobby is taking care of the birds who stay around our area.We’ve been reading up on how to attract wild birds to our backyard and learning how to help them survive our Chicago winters.
We got a heated bird bath to provide water and have hung a few different types of feeders. We put out thistle, suet, black oil sunflower, and a general wild bird mix. Birds especially need suet for the extra fat and calories it provides during the colder months. The feeders are hung near the bird bath and some bushes, so they have places to quickly run for cover and safety while they feed.
Sophia and I made pine cone feeders smeared with peanut butter and rolled in seed. Those are hanging all over the place. We put up the decoy corn feeders for the squirrels, as advised by various bird sites, but they seem to be on to our ploy and head right for the pricey sunflower seeds.
We have a great little local shop called For the Birds. When I went in to pick up the heated bird bath, the owner explained that birds need places to build nests starting in February, so we’ve started looking around for birdhouses. I’ve come across a wide range of really cute, modern designs and some ideas for making our own. I think this version, which uses suction cups to hold it to a window, would be really interesting and educational for the kids.
DesignMilk has put together a great collection of fun and interesting birdhouses.
Any other cute finds out there? Any other tips for attracting wild birds to your yard or helping them through the winter?
UPDATE:
More links on backyard birding:
Sophia reads some of the books Uncle Chris and Aunt Lara sent for Christmas to her little brother.
Will: 3 months, 3 weeks, & 4 days old.
Sophia: 8 1/2 years old.
UPDATE: We have a winner! Marcia Koenig claim your prize! (You guys should check out Marcia’s volunteer project. Truly awe-inspiring.
We’re settling in for a long, cold winter. Just for fun and to celebrate the turn of a new decade, I’m doing a giveaway from our online shop, LetsPicnic.com. One winner will be selected from the comments at random to win this cute insulated lunch tote. You’ll get to pick your color and it comes fully decked out in flatware and a cloth napkin. We’ll ship it to you anywhere in the continental US for free.
Just leave your email in the comments section. We’ll select the winner on New Year’s Day.
Don’t be shy. Click here to enter!
Happy 2010!
“Shelter Bloggers Rule!
There are awards for all sorts of blogs, but no one ever pays enough attention to the shelter blogs, so we started The Homies. It’s our way of surveying the blogosphere each year for the best new home design blogs and sharing what we find. It’s not so much a competition as a celebration of the richness and awesomeness of shelter bloggers around the world. Join us, share your favorites and check out the ones you don’t know.
There are five categories and none of our blogs or past winners are eligible. The prizes? $50 to the winner of each category and lots of traffic as we publish the five winners in a big congratulatory post across our network on January 6th. We want to elevate good home blogs, see who you love and gain awareness for the home niche.”
If you are moved to do so, please swing on by and cast a vote for us! We’re in the “Kids at Home” category.
Stupid icy sidewalk. Poor Dave tried to fold his foot backward.
Uhm, why hello there! Merry Christmas!
This guy was spying on me this afternoon while thumbing his nose at our cat. It’s like he knew the glass was there and Georgie couldn’t do crap about it. Then he started raiding our new bird feeder. Jerk.
My mother gave me my grandmother’s china years ago. While it is quite lovely, it’s not what I would have picked out on my own. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a treasured heirloom, but I felt a little pang of wanting to start my own set. So when my husband and I got married last year, I looked at the Lenox Chirp pattern at Field’s in Chicago longingly knowing there was no way in the world I could justify it. I have a full set of china for 12 and the Chirp pattern is pricey at about $1,200.00 for the same number of place settings.
BUT Target came out with a knockoff! It’s called Spring Song and is $59 for 4 place settings (16 pieces total). It’s nearly identical. So close, in fact, that it’s already being discontinued. I can’t imagine that Lenox didn’t have something to do with the brief appearance on Target shelves. Even the link to the product page on Target.com is dead while they usually leave those pages up long after the products are sold out.
This is one of those cases where it’s the graphic and colors I’m in love with, not the brand, so I’m perfectly happy with my Target plates. Lucky me, my wonderful husband lovingly went to 3 different stores to scrounge up the only 3 remaining sets left in our area so I could have my own set of 12.
Because he is sweet and awesome. Score! (On both counts.)
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