Birds & Blooms Newsletter - April 2002 Dear $$firstname$$, Greetings from Birds & Blooms magazine! We hope you enjoy this month's newsletter, which includes pointers on picturing and feeding feathered friends, a colorful "theme garden" and more. Read on and you'll discover... > Win a Mantis Tiller! > Stick Close to Home > Just Get Me Past April > Setting the Table > She's a Theme Player > Find Answers Fast > Attract More Wild Birds ********** Win a Mantis Tiller! AS a reader of this E-mail Newsletter, you're eligible for a drawing to win a FREE Mantis garden tiller or a 1-year subscription (or renewal) to Birds & Blooms magazine. It's easy--just visit our Web site at www.birdsandblooms.com and click on the "Personal Preferences" link directly below the "FREE E-Mail Newsletter" link. Then update your personal preferences so we can easily contact you. (It's only necessary to do this once to become eligible.) This contest started March 1, 2002 and ends May 31, 2002. No purchase is necessary to enter or win. A purchase will not increase your chances of winning. See complete rules at http://www.birdsandblooms.com/rd.asp?id=53 Good luck! ********** Treat Someone Special to a ‘Memorable’ Gift! SEARCHING for that extra special Mother’s Day gift for the important “mom” in your life? Give a Reminisce gift subscription! She’s sure to love recalling her favorite memories of the “good old days”. And you’ll love the savings--37% off every gift! America’s #1 nostalgia magazine is packed with fun-to-read stories from the ’30s, ’40s, ’50s and ’60s, including: > 100+ vintage, family-album photos > Uplifting, reader-written features > Good-time TV and radio memories > Delicious, old-fashioned recipes > And NO ADS! Each colorful issue of Reminisce brings back unforgettable moments--famous people and places, cherished friendships, family-favorite recipes, wholesome humor and touching stories--sure to brighten anyone’s day! As a Birds & Blooms newsletter reader, you’re entitled to generous savings on all gifts you give--37% off the cover price. With savings this big, why not share Reminisce with all the folks you know who’d appreciate a year full of happy memories! Give a Gift! Visit: http://www.reminisce.com/rd.asp?id=5 Subscribe Today! Visit: http://www.reminisce.com/rd.asp?id=4 ********** Stick Close to Home By Jay F., Woodville, New York SOMETIMES it pays to stay in your own backyard if you want to get good pictures of birds. I'm a pretty successful photographer, able to take great shots of stock cars or motorcycles going over 100 miles an hour. But for some reason when I try to get a few hobby pictures of the local bird population, I come up with blurry birds, half in/half out of the picture. A particular challenge is a certain great blue heron. Anytime my son and I walk along the creek, we have no problem at all getting close to the bird. When it's time to snap the picture, though, the heron somehow knows, because he jumps up and flies down the creek just far enough to be out of camera range. One day after seven close calls and trudging after "old blue" to try again, my son pointed out not too subtly that we were now about 3 miles from home. I decided it was time to give it up, feeling disappointed again as we made our way back. As we got there, we noticed a big bird in my son's homemade feeder. I snapped a quick picture before it could fly away, but it didn't! We got right next to the feeder, and a beautiful evening grosbeak wasn't bothered at all. We'd never seen one before, and this friendly bold bird was the perfect antidote to a frustrating afternoon with the blue heron. I vowed never again to ignore our common bird buddies in my own backyard. I'll let the heron fish...for now. To view a photo, visit http://www.birdsandblooms.com/rd.asp?id=54 ********** Just Get Me Past April By Lucy F., Ambler, Pennsylvania T.S. ELIOT must have had gardeners like me in mind when he wrote, "April is the cruelest month, mixing memory with desire." During the long Pennsylvania winters, I would suffer a cruel exile from my garden, remembering last spring's flowers and feverishly studying plant catalogs. I'd forget that April is not a reliably warm month in this area. For 3 years, I started seeds inside in February, hurrying spring's arrival, only to watch the new seeds grow and then languish, waiting too long for the earth to warm. In March, the catalog flowers I couldn't wait to order were delivered, and they had to sit outside in uncomfortably cold and drizzling days. But this year I'm determined to make things different. I'm trying to shrug off the false promise of those few deceptively warm days in April. I've slowed down and become more patient--watching and waiting for the signs of spring, not rushing myself or the flowers. While the early springtime will continue to make a few teasing overtures, and the fair and foul weather will follow one another erratically, I won't care. When springtime finally settles in, I'll be ready. But May better come pretty soon! ********** Setting the Table WHEN IT COMES to feeding feathered friends, Murry M. of Wilmington, North Carolina says try it--they might like it. "I bought a box of dog food for my puppy, but she wouldn't touch it," Murry recollects. "So on a hunch, I took a handful outside and put some on the flat bird feeder. "Well, it wasn't more than a few minutes when red-headed woodpeckers showed up and started carrying off the dog food fast as lightning. I went out and bought three more boxes of that brand." Murry advises: "If you hear a woodpecker barking in your yard, it's likely been to my feeder!" Another idea comes from Sarah S. of Birmingham, Alabama. One day she ran out of suet and needed a substitute. "I toasted a couple slices of bread, let them cool, covered both sides with peanut butter and jelly, then coated each side with a birdseed combination. "Two slices fit nicely into the suet basket," Sarah says. "I call them my toast treats, and my birds apparently agree." ********** She's a Theme Player MAYBE YOU can't take your favorite vacation spot back home with you, but you sure can re-create it. Linda K. was inspired enough to bring a little bit of Mexico all the way up to her patio in Minneapolis, Minnesota. "I'm extremely passionate about birds, flowers and travel," Linda admits. "After several trips to Mexico's warm climate, I was very impressed with certain landscaping. "So I decided to create my own little Southwestern theme garden in my limited patio space." In addition to cactus (the obvious choice), Linda discovered that Mexican heather and even bougainvillea do well in her Upper Midwest summer climate. "Flea markets in Mexico as well as here have been great sources of ceramic masks that I hang on the wooden fence. I've also found unusual flowerpots, figurines and other collectibles to display on painted shelves (the color is "cactus flower", naturally). "A wonderful birdbath and planter highlight the overall theme," she adds. This successful venture hasn't replaced Linda's passion for traveling, but it works wonders in highlighting the memories. To view a photo, visit http://www.birdsandblooms.com/rd.asp?id=55 ********** Find Answers Fast TRY the Birds & Blooms on-line Bulletin Board! This easy-to-use service allows readers with access to the Web to post questions and share information and ideas on-line anytime. Feel free to ask your question or respond to other readers searching for help on various subjects, such as bird feeding, flower gardening and butterflies. The Bulletin Board gives you a chance to quickly find solutions to your backyard dilemmas. And you'll see for yourself just how friendly our readers are. Here's a recent conversation from our Bulletin Board: Subject: Feeding Blackbirds Posted by: YSIAD Does anyone know if there is a kind of bird food that the blackbirds are not fond of? What will keep the darn things away? I'm sick of them! RE: Feeding Blackbirds Posted by: Grandpy_Ma I think blackbirds will eat anything that other birds eat, only more of it! This is the time of year that starlings and grackles are the worst...I don't have much trouble from the cowbirds or the red wings, though. Now that spring is here, the other birds will not starve if you stop feeding for a while until the blackbirds go away. Good Luck. RE: Feeding Blackbirds Posted by: wils_Ont I find that the grackles and blackbirds empty my feeders when they first come back from the south. Obviously they are hungry after their long trip. I don't begrudge feeding them for a while...then I remove the feeders for a while when other things become available for them to eat, like bugs. RE: Feeding Blackbirds Posted by: birdog_NC You should not stop seeding the birds yet--there aren't enough berries, seeds, insects or worms for them to eat. The Blackbirds will move on soon, so keep your feeders full until the beginning of summer! RE: Feeding Blackbirds Posted by: Binski_WY We have a huge nesting area close by, so I'm stuck with a load of blackbirds. I put one HUGE platform feeder on "their" side of the house and fill it with cheap sunflower seed & corn. Then I put only tube-type finch feeders in my best "viewing" area. The blackbirds don't bother my other birds as much as long as they have an easy supply of their own! To access the Bulletin Board, visit http://www.birdsandblooms.com/rd.asp?id=28 ********** Keep Your Hummers Happy... ...with these great items from Country Store On-Line. Dripless Hummingbird Feeder lets you enjoy feeding hummingbirds without the mess! Our new feeder features four removable feeding ports that won't drip. Easy to clean glass bottle holds 14 ounces of nectar (sold separately below). Hummer/Tube-Type Feeder Cleaners (set of three) are especially designed for hummingbird and tube-type feeders. 24"L, 7"L and 4-1/2"L. Nylon bristles and twisted wire shafts. Nectar Mix is easy, all natural. each pack of Nectar Mix mixes with water to make 4-1/2 quarts. Click on the options below to order: Dripless Hummingbird Feeder http://www.countrystorecatalog.com/rd.asp?id=178 Hummer/Tube-Type Feeder Cleaners (set of three) http://www.countrystorecatalog.com/rd.asp?id=179 Nectar Mix http://www.countrystorecatalog.com/rd.asp?id=180 ********** HAVE A FRIEND who enjoys bird-watching, bird feeding or backyard gardening? Feel free to forward this newsletter! This email was sent to: $$email$$ If this newsletter was forwarded to you, you can sign up for yourself at http://www.birdsandblooms.com TO CANCEL your newsletter at any time, visit http://www.reimanpub.com/rd.asp?id=2 TO UPDATE your e-mail address and other information, please visit http://www.birdsandblooms.com and click on the "Personal Preferences" link near the "Free Newsletters" link. You'll need your current e-mail address and password to log in. If you've forgotten your password or never selected one, there is a link to have it e-mailed to you. HAVING PROBLEMS linking to our Web site? If clicking a link in this newsletter doesn't work, you can simply highlight and copy the link, then paste it into your browser's target address field. ********** Birds & Blooms magazine brings beautiful backyards from across America into your living room--through vivid, full-color photos. It's like a friendly "chat" over the back fence with your bird-and flower-loving neighbors. To subscribe on-line, visit http://www.birdsandblooms.com/rd.asp?id=52 ********** BYE for now from the Birds & Blooms staff...see you next month! ********** Copyright 2002 Reiman Publications L.L.C. All rights reserved. Birds & Blooms, P.O. Box 991, Greendale WI 53129-0991 THIS newsletter is now available in a graphical format (HTML) that includes photos with the stories. The computer code below is HTML. If your e-mail program does not support HTML, visit https://www.reimanpub.com/registration2/text.asp?email=$$email$$