We decided to bring them a new bird feeder to put in their newly decorated garden. The kids picked out a nice tube bird feeder from gzbirdsupply.com. I suggested they pick a model with either a squirrel cage or squirrel baffle, as the squirrel population in Flagstaff is notorious for devouring all your bird seed and suet cakes.

As I said earlier, our friends have just recently remodeled their garden,  They included a new garden shed to store their supplies for working in the backyard. I had just recently purchased a wooden shed to accent and unused area of my garden. I recommended they do the same and I was looking forward to seeing the results.

So after a two hour drive and a 30 degree drop in temperature we were in Flagstaff. There was not much snow but that did not matter as neither of our kids had ever seen any snow. We took some sleds and did some sleigh riding in their backyard. This was plenty for the kids as they have no frame of reference. We are planing a trip east to the white mountains for some skiing later this year and I would guess that their standards will change after that. Our friends were very happy with the new bird feeder and we really enjoyed spending time in their new garden.

After a nice leisure lunch in town we were off for our drive back to Phoenix. It was a good trip and some good exposure to truly cold temperatures. The kind of temperatures my wife from Illinois and me from New York are both used to!

Scientists in England have been watching the behavior of the European blackcap. Whether you subscribe to the theory of evolution or not, they have found that there have been physical changes to this species of birds. They have traced these changes back to the birds becoming reliant on bird feeders placed in the gardens of England. The placement of these bird feeders has become so prolific that the many of these birds have stopped migrating to warmer climates in the winter months. They claim that the birds have developed adaptations to better harvest food from the many carefully placed bird feeders around the urban and country gardens of England. Who would have thought that tube bird feeders or suet bird feeders in your backyard you are helping to change the world as we know it.

We have seen similar events her in the United States. East of the Rocky Mountains, Purple Martins have become almost completely dependent on humans for providing their housing. People wanting to attract these beautiful bird to the gardens started placing specialized purple martin houses to attract and assist the bird in breading. After generations of purple martins used the subsidized housing they have become dependent. People have gotten very creative with the housing, creating large habitats using fancy gourd systems and large multi-room houses.

So, go put a simple tube bird feeder in your back yard and change the world!!!

As you will find out, the temperature is something you want to think about when considering feeding birds with a suet based feed. Suet, from what I understand, is beef or lamb fat more specifically the more dense fat from around the loins and kidneys. You can put out beef fat for the bird to eat directly. If your temperature is above seventy degrees the fat will melt and become rancid. To keep this from happening you can render the fat by heating it and straining it. Then add peanuts and bird seed to a mold and pour the hot fat into the molds and let it cool. I will write an article with more detail on producing suet cakes in the future.

I recommend purchasing suet cakes pre-made. There are many different varieties available. The many suet cake feeders that accept commercially available bird suet cakes. You can purchase bird feeders that accept both seed and suet cakes. These suet cakes will attract many types of birds. Woodpeckers are the most popular suet feeders, as well as kinglets, bluebirds (bluebirds have been know to feed their nestlings suet), cardinals, jays, thrushes, starlings, and wrens to name a few.

For the winter months suet is a high calorie food for the birds to help maintain their body temperatures as the outside gets colder. Of course birds are not the only outdoor creatures that enjoy suet based bird seed cakes. Squirrels and other rodents will enjoy eating suet for all the same reasons. Adding a squirrel baffle to the pole or chain holding your bird feeder should keep unwanted diners away. Of course the squirrels need to eat too, so you may want to add a suet cage for the squirrels!

The same can be said for dogs, cats and other domesticated animals. People are appalled that in some countries people kill and eat dogs and cats. Where in this country pigs, cows and chickens are brutally killed by the millions for us to consume. Pigs are intelligent animals, at least as intelligent as dogs.

Ok, now to continue in this train of thought and to rejoin the topic of the web site. For a nature lover a squirrel proof bird feeder may sound cruel. Why do we go out of our way to feed bird but also go out of our way to NOT FEED the squirrels. There are a large variety of designs implemented to keep squirrels from eating food specifically placed for birds.

There are feeders that take into consideration that squirrels are much heaver then birds so when the squirrel steps on the perch to gain access to the seeds a door closes to deny access. The squirrel buster plus is one of these feeders.

Another design surrounds the bird feed with a cage that has small enough openings that the squirrel cannot get to the food but bird can easily poke their heads in to pick at the food. This type is generally less expensive because they have no moving parts like the weight activated designs.

Another popular design does not allow access to the seed perch other then flying. This is normally done by placing a dome or baffle over the feeder. This can be fun to watch because the squirrel gets close to the bird seed then slides off.  The squirrels can be pretty persistent when trying access the seeds.

Of course with any bird feeder you want to make sure the seeds are well ventilated so they stay fresh. The seeds should be kept dry and proper drainage of any water the would get into the seeds is VERY important.  If the seeds get wet and stay wet they will start to rot in a day and start to smell very bad.

So when you set out to keep the squirrels away from your bird seed try to remember to put some food out for the poor squirrels. This won’t keep them out of your bird seed but it will make you feel better as a nature lover.

The reactions that I have seen from the empty yard remind me of a story. The story is the one about the two shoe salesman visiting a far away land. The first salesman shows up to the first remote village in the country. The weather in the country is such that the people are able to walk around without any shoes. Dejected, the salesman calls back to the head office of the shoe company and complains, “I am heading home.  There exists not opportunity here, the population does not ware any shoes”. The second salesman shows up to the same village. After noticing the same condition as the first salesman makes the call to the company headquarters.  The second salesman excitedly reports that he needs as much inventory as they can spare “because the people are not waring any shoes!”.

So the garden is an empty slate.  The house my wife and I purchased before starting our family had a similar condition. The front was landscaped.  The back was not. There was literally nothing. It was completely empty. We had a landscape architect draw up plans and we implemented them ourselves. It is a great feeling and sense of accomplishment to do the landscaping of your garden.

I plan to help Donna design and layout the back yard garden. We are going to put in a solar bird bath in the new flower bed along the north side of the home. We will put a hanging bird bath in the existing tree in the back yard. We want to attract humming birds so we will be planting brightly color flowering plants throughout the garden. Several hummingbird feeders will be strategically placed throughout both the front and back yard.

I hope Donna takes the approach of the second salesman and is optimistic about the opportunities afforded by the blank slate that is her new garden.

When designing a garden we are getting back to nature. Going back to a simpler time. So when adding a piece of art to your garden using a material that has followed human history for so many years would be a good place to look. Bird baths made of ceramic, terra cotta or clay contribute to the earthy, natural feel of you backyard garden. Artists can use the vibrant colors allowed by all the shiny glazes. Serving multiple purposes, both adding the the look of your garden and also attracting bird of all types to your yard.  A decorative ceramic bird bath will add to the pleasure you derive from you garden for years to come.