Today At The Watering Hole!

Thank you Marilyn...they are beautiful and now I am greedy and want them back. I set a feast and cage for them yesterday but no takers that I know of except for a Carolina Wren I mentioned earlier. Here is a pic of the table I set...maybe I need to use a table cloth!! The little red bowls has worms in it but they are those dead ones. I have a shipment of the live ones coming soon so I hope that will help! The cage is just those storage things and the openings are 1 1/2 inches! It if snows I will cover the top with a piece of plexiglass! If they don't show up I will have some invitations printed up for them.

Nice to have you back Marilyn!! :0)

edited for spelling!

This message was edited Jan 24, 2008 7:01 AM

Fabulous!!! Getting some great ideas here for sure. The next 2 items on to get list are an oriole feeder and a heated bird bath for a water source during the winter.

This message was edited Jan 24, 2008 7:53 PM

Whats on the plate with the meal worms? olives? can't tell.

Rose,

Thanks! Good to be back! ;-)

Great looking setup you have! Don't you worry about the cage blowing over and/or away from the table? Maybe you don't have the wind we get sometimes (I would have to place a rock or brick on top).

What are the goodies you have there around the bowl of mealworms?

That is so neat that you came up with that idea of the cage! Did you use wire to tie all the sides together?

The very few times (in over 10 yrs.) I've seen a Bluebird or two here, I was speechless! ;-) Good for you!

Marilyn

Grrrr...had to run to the feed store this AM to get another heated bowl...the one I bought from Wally World did not work!!! I was trying to save 2 bucks and I should have known better. Anyway..it was in the single digits this morn and today will only get up to 25 degrees so now I feel better!

Nanny...I'm gonna get some Oriole feeders this year too..last year they broke my glass humm feeder on the front porch. They were very bold about it too as I watched them do it!!

Hey Marilyn...it does get windy and if the cage blows over I will put a big rock on top of it (we grow them here...lol)!! The fruit I have set around the worm bowl are raisins, chopped apples and grapes. I bought some blueberries yesterday and will add them as soon as they show up (trying be positive here)!! Once they start eating here I have a plexiglass window to put on top of the cage when it rains or snows and if they stay for the summer I can add shade for them! I just used wire to tie the cage together and yes I almost dropped my drawers when they showed up!

Rose

Rose,

They have a Heated Ground Bath from Duncraft if you're interested. A little more than you're paying now, but I'd thought I'd mention it.

http://www.duncraft.com/Heated-Ground-Bath--P1283C215.aspx

They also have a Solar Sipper at Duncraft (backorder until Feb.)

http://www.duncraft.com/Solar-Sipper-Save-500----Extended-Back-Order----Est-February-2008-P2328C215.aspx

I've thought about getting this one to go along with our bird bath (on a pedestal) that we add a heating thing for the cold months.

Were did you find this heated bowl this time? I didn't know Walmart had heated bowls.

Marilyn

Rose,

This is an item I would like to get!

http://www.duncraft.com/Rocky-Mountain-Spring-Bath-with-Dripper-Heater-P1155C215.aspx

I want the $100 one!! Maybe they will go on sale this Spring...I would try a solar one but we have too many days without sun so I don't know how well they would work. Sometimes my outdoor solar lights are barely visible at night. I have some stock tank heaters over at the old barn I'm gonna try and find and see if I can rig up something with a metal oil pan! The bowl I got from Wal Mart was in the pet department but I have to take it back since it doesn't work! :0(

Rose

Oh my...I like that one the best!

I don't know anything about this company but here it is for a little less.

http://store.birdwatching.net/store/-strse-273/Rocky--Mountain-Spring%2C/Detail.bok

I couldn't wait for the weekend, so stopped and picked up this heated water bowl for dogs from Walmart. It was $20 and holds about a gallon. There was also a smaller one there for 15. I hope it works and I do not have to return it like Dellrose. :D

Had a couple of takers, but they are a bit camera shy for some reason today.

I have found that any time I put something new out (feeder, bath, etc) it takes a day or so before the birds start using it.
It's like they want to make sure it's not some kind of trap.

Nancy

LOL, thats exactly right Nancy!

They are very cautious as well they should be!

yah, it's funny, all the house finches lined up in the seed surrounding this feeder and were facing the setup, all in a semicircle. pretty funny

I can hear them now...

"What is it?"
"I dunno, go check it"
"No way! YOU go check it!"
"C'mon... I checked the last dohicky! It's YOUR turn!"
"Nuh-uh. I'm not going near it!"
"OK.... let's do 'Rock, Paper, Scissors' to decide."
"Dummy! You KNOW we both can only do PAPER!"
"Yeah - You're right. Let's wait until tomorrow. If there's not a pile of dead birds around it, we'll know it's safe."

LOL!

Nancy

ROTFLOL!!!

Good one Nancy!

LOL! you guys are way too funny...DH is looking at me strangely cause I'm sitting here roflmbo!! Mrs. Ed..I think it took a few days before they used my first one..now everyone uses it!! Even had a cowbird used it a little while ago!! Good luck with yours and I hope to see some neat pics when you get your visitors!

Rose

I went to TSC yesterday, (tractor supply store) and got some oriole feeders on clearance, 1.99 each and another for 5.99 their plastic, think i'm going to paint them orange. although they do have an orange top and bottom on them.

I think I saw a couple bluebirds today at the feeder, but could be wrong, it's awful cold here. Definitely saw something new there. Got a pic but not sure if it's good enough to post, have to go check the photo out.

I hear those orioles love grape jelly, read on the internet that someone put it in a oriole feeder as feed, but watered it down some. Thought i'd try that in one of the feeders.

Yes along with the nectar the Orioles love grape jelly and oranges.

Still hoping to attract my first ones. :-)

Forgot to thank you for that link Pelle, I've bookmarked it and may buy it when I get my "rebate" check!!

Here is the second waterer that I set up and I took this pic through my dirty windshield. No takers yet...but there's always tomorrow!

Rose

This will be my first year trying , I have no idea if i'll get any either. I still have another month to go before putting ou t feeders though.

Kathy Ann...you probably do have Bluebirds, you are in a warmer climate than we are and we have them here! We had Orioles last year but I wasn't into birding but this year I will be ready for them. I like the idea of the grape jelly in the feeders.

I checked my newest water bowl and it was obviously used a lot today...there were many "calling cards"! LOL!

LOL, good way to put it Rose!

I had an aweful lot of calling cards too but never was able to catch any birds in the water pan. Their fast little buggers.

I can never get a good picture of those birds their so fast, and I have to look out the door to get a shot, and they fly off immediately LOL

Kathy Ann...I am finding out that there is a lot more to this pic taking that I ever imagined!! Today I found an area across the road where the birds are getting water naturally. The sun was out and the water was thawed in areas so I sat in the freezing shade and waited very patiently. I have found that you have to be very still in your movements to not scare them away. It took awhile for them to show up but it was worth the wait. I managed to get a few pics and I will share them now.

Here is a group of American Goldfinches, there are 11 of them altogether. See if you can find them all!!

Rose

Here is a Northern Mockingbird taking a sip!

And a big swallow!

And a cute Female Purple Finch that blends into the background I almost missed her!


edited to properly ID (thanks Resin)

This message was edited Jan 24, 2008 7:42 PM

Great job on the pics Rose!

Thanks Pelle and thanks for the ID Resin! I swear I will never get those 2 finches figured out! grrrrrrr!!!

Rose, I'm very impressed with your setups. Good thinking there girl!!! Nice pictures of finches and mocking bird

Thanks Burn...I can't wait to see who is visiting the latest one!

Great series, Rose!

Thanks trois!

Dellrose--

Glad your heated "bird baths" are working. Here in MN it has gotten down to -14, but the heated bird baths I purchased still work! The birds don't tend to take baths when it is that cold, but they do drink!

I am really enjoying this thread. I don't have any ice or snow, but you've given me lots of other good ideas!

Thanks Jo and Ceejay! I was so surprised when I got in my car today and a minute later saw this at the newest watering hole I set up a few days ago! Too bad I had to shoot thru the car window and I needed to be closer but it was a very exciting time!

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