Dear $$firstname$$,

Greetings from Birds & Blooms magazine! We hope you enjoy this month's newsletter, which includes a freeloading turkey, some heartwarming garden memories, tips on keeping critters from eating your landscape and more. Read on and you'll discover...

> Turkey Turnabout?
> Heartwarming Memories
> A Nutty Trade
> Birds Do Gutter Chore
> Posts Are Attractive, Functional
> It's a Zoo Out There!
> Solar Sipper's Super

Turkey Turnabout?

SHE OFTEN SEES wild turkeys in fields or crossing roads near her home. But Ellen M. of Voorheesville, New York was surprised to find a female turkey clucking and preening on her patio.

"She was a daily visitor for several weeks, even pecking at our patio window as if she was asking for food," Ellen says.

"At first, she competed with small birds, squirrels and chipmunks for the seeds scattered under the bird feeder. Then she discovered a simpler method--she hopped up on our deck railing and helped herself directly from the feeder!"

In case you're wondering, the "turnabout turkey" didn't hang around for Thanksgiving!
 

Heartwarming Memories

GROWING POTATOES was a labor of love for Leon G. of St. Elmo, Illinois. "He enjoyed working the soil, planting, plowing and digging the patch every year," recalls his wife, Fleeta.

"After he died, I knew it would be sad to plant the potatoes without him. But the next spring, I cut apart the seed potatoes and planted them.

"When it came time to dig the potatoes, memories of my husband overwhelmed me. 'My heart is hurting so much that I can't do this,' I told our grown kids. Daughter Judy reassured me it would be okay.

"Later, as I gathered the potatoes we'd dug, I found a plump heart-shaped one! It was a perfect tribute to Leon, who loved his potatoes. We all had a good laugh about it.

"Judy was right--things have been okay. And every year, no matter where we rotate the potato patch, we find another heart-shaped potato."

A Nutty Trade

SOME PEOPLE believe squirrels are greedy critters, taking more than their share of seeds and nuts offered by backyard bird-watchers.

But Mrs. George A. of Sebastian, Florida knows that some squirrels are well-mannered. "There was one squirrel that repeatedly ran along our screened porch and toward our shed," she explains. "We couldn't tell what it was doing.

"Sometime later, I needed some pecans for cookies I was baking. I sent my husband to fetch a bucket of pecans we had stored in the shed.

"He discovered the contents of the bucket had changed a bit--there were several acorns and fewer pecans. That's when we figured out we'd been visited by a courteous squirrel. It had left an acorn for each pecan it removed!"

Birds Do Gutter Chore

WHEN fall rolls around, most folks spend time cleaning leaves from their homes' gutters to allow rainwater to drain properly. In Belzoni, Mississippi, William S. lets the birds handle this chore.

"After noticing some blackbirds flicking leaves from the neighbor's gutters to get small acorns that had fallen from overhanging oaks, I decided to encourage them," he explains.

"I put dried kernels of corn among the leaves in my gutter as bait. The birds immediately cooperated by tossing out the leaves to get at the corn. Their feeding frenzy soon cleared the gutters of nearly all the leaves!"

To place the corn in his gutters while remaining on the ground, William uses a short piece of string or wire to tie an empty soup can to the end of a long fishing pole. After filling the can halfway with corn, he shakes the pole along the gutter. The can tilts and lets the corn trickle out. Corny...but true!

Posts Are Attractive, Functional

WHEN it comes to providing safe, attractive housing for bluebirds and tree swallows, Sherry and Dean J. of West Fargo, North Dakota go to great lengths.

"We experimented with many different kinds of posts to mount our birdhouses," writes Sherry. "We finally tried 4-inch PVC pipe, and now we won't use anything else. The slippery surface of the post prevents mice, snakes, cats and other predators from disturbing the birds' nests."

To make a post, Sherry and Dean drill a few mounting holes about 3 or 4 inches from the top of an 8-foot length of pipe. Then the post is anchored about 2 feet in the ground.

"Before mounting the birdhouse to the post, we use a little off-white paint to cover the red lettering on the pipe. Then we dab on some black paint to make it resemble a paper birch tree," Dean notes.

"It's not necessary to do this, but it makes the post blend in nicely with the surroundings."
 

It's a Zoo Out There!

KEEPING ANIMALS from eating your landscape plants is a huge challenge. If you want to discourage the critters, you'll need to create a yard that's not so inviting (for the critters, that is!).

Take a look around to see if you're providing a welcome mat for wildlife you'd rather not have. Here are some simple steps to help:

Brush piles. They're great for attracting birds, but they're also perfect hiding spots for rabbits.

Patch holes and cracks. Do this in the garage or other outbuildings.

Close doors and windows. We ended up with three kittens this spring because someone left the garage door open.

Eliminate unnecessary sources of water. A weed bucket left out in the rain or a tiny water garden provide this basic element for survival.

Don't provide easy food sources. Skunks and raccoons love birdseed or dry dog and cat food. Keep these in critter-resistant containers. You'll also want to use baffles on your bird feeders to keep the raiders from stealing food.

Solar Sipper's Super

EVEN temperatures as low as 15 degrees F can't freeze water in this new, improved "solar sipper". Insulated outer shell absorbs the sun's rays, giving wild birds a dependable 1-quart supply of fresh drinking water. Plastic basin is about 8"W x 3"H. Attracts birds in the summer, too.

To order the Solar Sipper from Country Store On-line, click here.

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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. 

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