Yay! It's Spring!

Our first day of spring was a little wet with thunder. Then it was mostly to partly sunny later on in the afternoon with a high of 72º! This then brought the idea to grill out tonight, which we did. Nothing like the first grilled chicken of the season. We also had yummy sauteed mushrooms and a salad!

I spent a little time out on the back deck today with my camera in hand to capture some of my famous bird pictures. Didn't seem like there was much action, probably because I was sitting out there. The birds are going to have to get used to me all over again being outside instead of inside taking pictures through the window.

So this is what I capture today out on my deck...........

Little Junco's are still here.

Nuthatch being a acrobat

Red-Bellied Woodpecker. Looks like it's time to make some more suet. These guys are out there on the suet feeder all the time. They can't go inside the cage, but do get their heads all the way in and get big chunks of suet with that long beak.

Chick a dee dee dee

And....... This morning got on the Eagle Nest Cam to see how the eagles were doing in the rain. They looked misreable sitting there all wet. But I guess that is something they are used to. I took a few screen captures when the camera was doing some zooming in on the eagle.

Decorah, Iowa Eagle Nest Cam <------------- Link to the Nest Cam

Birds on the Brain

Well, I've got lots of birds for you today!! We got 4 inches of snow over night and when that happens we get lots of activity at the bird feeders because the birdies are looking for something to eat after everything has been covered with snow. And..... I finished up a brand new bird make do today!! He is made with a stained muslin that I printed the cursive alphabet on. I'm sure you all remember staring at that at the top of the chalkboard when we were kids, I know I do. This sweet little bird was just listed in my etsy shop!

Also today I made homemade suet and suet holders. Wow...I guess I got a lot done today!!

Here are a couple of pictures right after I hung up the feeders. Mrs. Red-Bellied Woodpecker Mr. Cardinal were checking them out. They never did land on them. Maybe tomorrow.

Here's the How To to make the suet and the hangers. This was posted in the Birds and Blooms latest issue.

Suet Hanger

Supplies: 14-gauge galvanized wire (sold in 100-ft. rolls in the hardware store)

pliers and wire cutters

glass spice jar or other 2 inch diameter jar

duct tape

spray primer and paint approved for metal

(I didn't use the spray paint)

Take your wire and make a little hanger at the top before wrapping around the jar. Then right where you start to wrap on the jar put a piece of tape to hold the wire in place. Then smoothly wrap around the jar until you think you have it long enough for the suet to rest inside with room to spare. Then at the bottom where you cut it off, use your pliers to bend in the wire to form a curlicue so the suet don't fall out the bottom.

Suet

Supplies: 1 cup of lard or bacon drippings

1 cup of oatmeal

1 cup of corn meal

1 cup of chunky peanut butter

raisins

bird seed

cardboard toilet paper tubes

aluminum foil

rubber bands

In a pan, melt lard, peanut butter together. Then add in your oatmeal, cornmeal, raisins and bird seed. Then let cool a little. Mean while put foil over one end of the cardboard tub and wrap a rubber band around to hold in place. Then spoon in your mixture in the tubes. This recipe made enough to fill 5 tubes for me. Then put them in the freezer and harden. After frozen just peel off the foil and the cardboard tubes and place in your new suet holder!! This was super easy to do!

Now here are a few bird pics that I took today!

Mourning Dove

This sweet little bird that I don't see very often is a Carolina Wren

Mr. Cardinal

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

Mr. Junco

So Sweet Junco

Ok that's all for now. I sure did have a big post tonight didn't I??!! :)

Just a Little Bird Watching

Filled up my bird feeders today and set up my camera on the tripod and got some awesome shots of some of the birds today. Just thought it looked pretty out in my backyard with the yellow leaves just about ready to fall. Most of all the other trees have lost their leaves.

Mr. Cardinal on a perfect Fall day

He looks like he is saying, I see you taking my picture. :)

Looks like the Junco's are back in town. You know winter is almost here when they arrive.

I think Nuthatch's are the most cutest birds along with the wren. I love the little honking sound that nuthatch's make and how they go up and down the side of the tree upside down.

Tufted Titmouse. Had a hard time getting a picture of him. They are so fast!

Mr. Chickadee is very hungry.

And Mr. Black squirrel having a snack. Oh those pesky squirrels. Gotta love them.