For the Birds -- A Hummingbird Feeder

Part of the joy I get from the garden is that the birds seem to enjoy it as much as I do. I plant things they like and provide both water and supplemental food (when the plants they like aren't quite ready). It's supposed to be a scorcher of a weekend here, so I'm keeping an eye on the birdbaths to make sure they stay filled.

In an earlier post this year, I mentioned the variety and number of birds we saw -- just sitting on the deck above the Mississippi River. I didn't mention that we saw a couple of hummingbirds -- which are among my favorites.

The Riverman asked if there was something you could do to make the hummingbirds visit. I said there were a number of plants that are attractive to hummingbirds and that we have many of those plants in the garden. Then, I mentioned that there are special feeders for hummingbirds. His eyes lit up and asked if we had one. I said we didn't but could get one. We put it on the west side of the house -- just outside the sunroom -- so we can see it while having coffee. And, to my surprise and delight, two days after I hung it, we had hummingbirds! I haven't seen them for a few days. I don't know if it's because they've moved on or if they're coming at times when I'm not around. I know they'll be back when the Monarda blooms, so I may just need to be patient.

p.s. It looks like I'm having trouble with the scheduler for my posts! I'll try to be more diligent about checking that they're actually live rather than trusting the scheduler.

Birdbaths

I have a thing for birdbaths. I like the classic shape as well as more unusual shapes. And, although, I’m not a huge fan of the cute statues that have a basin for water, I do enjoy a gargoyle or other creature spewing water in a fountain. There are five birdbaths here in the gardens. Three are classic pedestal and basin models and two are shallow ground basins.

But, I discovered recently that the beautiful glazed bath I bought last year may not get a lot of use because it’s too slippery for the birds to grip onto! I did notice that it seemed to be getting less use than the other baths in the gardens. Birds apparently like a grittier surface, which explains why they like the rough stone models better. I added some stones to the glazed bath yesterday when I filled it to give some grip-ability for the birds.

The other thing I learned about birdbaths is that a birdbath isn’t just a bath, but a source of drinking water for birds! So, even though my glazed bath may not get used for bathing, birds may sit on the rim and sip from it. This is a good reason to keep the water in the baths clean and fresh. In hot weather, algae can build up quickly, and mosquitoes can breed in standing water.

Birds love the sound of splashing water, so, adding a fountain is a sure way to attract birds to your garden. I don’t have a fountain yet, but am looking for just the right one. In the meantime, I’m going to add to the birdbath collection.

Water – Welcome Relief for all on a Hot Day

It was sunny, hot, and humid yesterday – so hot and humid that we had an “Excessive Heat Warning” – not unusual for August, but pretty rare for May. The weather people reminded us all day to drink lots of water. Their advice reminded me that newly planted additions to the garden would also benefit from some water.

My neighbor, Audrey, must have had the same thought. So, after work, she and I hauled 25 gallons of water to the new community garden we helped to plant over the weekend to ensure the seedlings didn’t fry in the hot sun. (There’s no water source at the garden, so we need to haul water in buckets from home!) The plants were looking really sad and droopy when we got there and we gave them all the water we brought with us.

When we got home, I noticed that the water in the birdbaths was gone and things here was drooping, too – even some of the natives, which are pretty drought tolerant. So, I hooked up the rain barrels to the soaker hoses and hand watered the gardens that don’t yet have soakers. As soon as I turned on the hose, the birds arrived. Even before I had filled the first birdbath, they were splashing around under the cool shower from the hose. Monty tried to catch a little spray from the hose, too, following me from birdbath to birdbath until I put the hose down for him to drink from!

I finished watering about 9:30 and headed in for a big glass of icy cold water. Aaaahhhhhh.