NOTE--To see an on-line version of this newsletter, copy this link and paste it into your web browser: http://www.birdsandblooms.com/rd.asp?id=584&firstname=$$firstname$$&emailaddress=$$email$$&refurl=$$refurl-link$$ Please do not reply to this email. If you have questions or wish to unsubscribe, see the instructions at the bottom of this email. Dear $$firstname$$, Greetings from BIRDS & BLOOMS magazine! It’s time to clean up the yard and garden and plan for this year’s plantings. If you’ve been thinking about adding a pond, we’ve got practical tips from fellow readers, plus ideas for dealing with damaged trees, feeding and watching backyard birds and more. Read on to discover... » Birds Make A Clean Sweep » Patient’s Patience Was Rewarded » Baby Robin Rescue Is in the Bag » Pondering a Pond? Plan Ahead! » Guests Are Noisy but Well-Dressed » Toppled Trees Inspire Creativity » New Book Brings You the Best ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Birds Make A Clean Sweep ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CHECKING the birdhouses on their wooded property near Grand Haven, Michigan one spring day, Joyce and Bob D. noticed two of them were already occupied by white-breasted nuthatches. “We saw one of the nuthatches doing something very peculiar,” Joyce recalls. “Emerging from the house with a feather in its bill, it began to ‘sweep’ the outside of the birdhouse, using the feather as a broom. When it was finished, the bird went back inside, brought another feather to the entrance and shook it. After doing this several times, the nuthatch came outside and started sweeping the side of the tree on which the house was mounted!” Joyce learned that this behavior is called “bill sweeping,” and researchers believe it’s a territorial defense mechanism. Instead of using a feather, nuthatches usually go through this “sweeping” routine using a crushed insect, which may spread a chemical that repels squirrels and other predators. Nuthatches are known to stash dead insects in bark crevices around their nesting hole just for this purpose. If they don’t have any insects stored away, they go ahead and “sweep” anyway by swinging their heads back and forth for up to 15 minutes. “It’s fascinating,” Joyce says. “Too bad we can’t get them to sweep inside our house!” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Patient’s Patience Was Rewarded ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AN OLD ADAGE tells us that good things come to those who wait. And from her gardening experience last year, Sue M. of Arnold, Missouri knows this for a fact. Sue plants impatiens every spring—except for last year, when surgery put her gardening efforts on hold. “I was sad about having to wait until summer to plant and enjoy my flowers,” she writes. “But I figured it was best to follow my doctor’s orders and patiently rest and recuperate. “One day, however, I noticed little sprigs of green popping up next to the deck where I normally plant my impatiens. I figured the weeds were taking over. Weeks later, I was surprised to see blooms appear—they were impatiens! Last year’s flowers must’ve reseeded themselves! I never knew there was a chance they’d come back. “In retrospect, you could say this was meant to be. You see, I’ve been faithfully planting impatiens for years, and I feel as though they rewarded me by growing on their own when I really needed them the most. I’m glad I was a patient with patience!” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Baby Robin Rescue Is in the Bag ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AFTER a large limb was removed from an oak tree in her Bartlesville, Oklahoma backyard, Annette S. was dismayed to find a broken American robin’s nest and three babies on the ground. “My husband, Tom, and I put the nest back together as best we could, placed the babies back inside and set it atop a large shrub, thinking the parents would hear the chirping and find their brood,” she writes. But the confused parents kept flying to the downed tree limb, which had been dragged to the front yard. They apparently thought their nest was still on the limb. “When we realized the parents wouldn’t come to the shrub, Tom fashioned a nest out of a brown paper bag. He put the pieces of the nest and the three nestlings inside it. Then he climbed a ladder and put the nest on a lower branch of the tree where the nest had been before. “At first, the parents wouldn’t approach the makeshift nest. But they soon adjusted. For the next 2 weeks, we watched the parents take turns feeding the nestlings. Later on, we enjoyed watching the parents teach their young to fly. “Weeks after the nestlings fledged, the paper bag nest disintegrated in the wind and rain. It had served its purpose well, and we were glad to have played a role in helping the baby robins survive!” » View photo: http://www.birdsandblooms.com/RD.asp?ID=585&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Come Along on an Ever-Changing Adventure Around Lake Michigan! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SAVE $50.00on your reservation Bustling cities and quaint harbor towns…bountiful fruit orchards, stunning flower gardens, Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, Mackinac Island’s Grand Hotel and neat-as-a-pin working farms…all of this awaits as you travel around Lake Michigan’s magnificent shoreline! http://www.countrytours.com/RD.asp?ID=1652&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ On your tour, you’ll… - Relax and unwind on peaceful Mackinac Island, tour the beautiful Grand Hotel and enjoy its elegant buffet. - Visit orchards, gardens and farms where you’ll meet those who produce blueberries, apples, cherries, flowers-even trees! - Savor the scenic beauty of Lake Michigan’s shoreline, from the impressive Chicago Skyline to the breathtaking Door County harbors. - Visit the Reiman Publications Visitor Center and fun gift shops in historic Greendale, Wisconsin. - Stroll through gorgeous gardens filled with acres of flowers in full summertime bloom. You won’t want to miss this delightful tour filled with picturesque scenery, friendly people and fascinating history, especially when… You can SAVE $50 on your reservation! As a valued subscriber of this newsletter, you’re entitled to a special travel savings of $50 off per person! But you must hurry and reserve your spot by May 1, 2006. Visit our website for a complete itinerary and to make reservations. Be sure to mention Promotion Code BL23 to claim your special subscriber travel savings. Savings ends May 1, 2006. http://www.countrytours.com/RD.asp?ID=1652&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ Offer cannot be combined with any other offers. Exclusive Tour Operator of BIRDS & BLOOMS Magazine 1-800/344-6918 5939 Country Lane, Greendale WI 53129-1429 http://www.countrytours.com/RD.asp?ID=1651&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pondering a Pond? Plan Ahead! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FEW THINGS will make a bigger visual splash in your backyard landscape than a water garden. At first, this rewarding project may look as easy as turning on a garden hose. But building a pond isn’t something you should just dive into. Keep in mind that it can be a costly hobby, depending on the size, materials and accessories you choose. “I recommend reading a lot and thinking through each part of the project before beginning,” advises Charlotte C. of Glenpool, Oklahoma. “Then take your time. With good planning, you can avoid problems such as leaks. And yes, I’m speaking from experience,” Charlotte admits. “When the project is finished, though, the rewards are abundant. There’s nothing more relaxing than coming home from work, sitting in my lawn chair by the pond and watching the many birds that visit as the world passes by.” The most important step when building a pond is selecting a good location. Above all, it must be level. Here are a few more considerations to think about: • Water plants and fish need sunlight to live. Water lilies need at least 6 hours of sunlight a day to bloom and water that’s 10 to 32 inches deep, depending on the variety. • If your area has cold winters and you want to keep fish outdoors, part of the pond has to be deep enough to remain ice-free. (Check with local garden centers or your county Extension service for recommended depths in your area.) • Be sure you can see the pond from a picture window, patio, deck, walkway or wherever your family spends a lot of time. • If attracting birds is a priority, place the pond near shrubs that provide protection from predators. Also provide a shallow area for birds to bathe in and drink. • If you want a reflecting pool, locate your pond near a garden or statue you’d like to highlight. • Don’t place ponds in low areas—they’ll collect rain runoff. • Avoid placing ponds directly below trees. You’ll have to constantly remove debris and leaves. After you’ve found the ideal spot, field editor Marsha M. of Shreveport, Louisiana suggests checking local codes and regulations before digging. (Also remember to check with local utilities for underground cables, wires or pipes.) “Some communities may have depth restrictions,” informs Marsha. “If you exceed them, you may be required to fence in the pond, so it’s always best to check first. And if you plan on running a pump or installing special lighting, you may need to meet specific electrical code requirements.” Ready to begin digging? Set the shovel aside until next month, when we’ll share more reader tips for perfect ponds. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Guests Are Noisy but Well-Dressed ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TABLE MANNERS aside, blue jays are at the top of the guest list when Eddie E. has a backyard dinner party. He likes to have a bit of fun in his Murfreesboro, Tennessee yard by setting the table for these raucous birds. And they love to play along. “Blue jays may not be the most popular feathered critters among birders, but they work for peanuts,” Eddie quips. “I offer handfuls of raw unsalted peanuts in the shell, and these entertainers wait in line for their turn to perform.” Eddie points out you don’t have to do anything fancy. Simply piling the nuts on the ground or on a picnic table should do the trick. “Sometimes, the blue jays are so eager to get their share that they ignore the presence of humans,” he says. “So it’s pretty easy to lure them close to the house and within camera range. “The birds will perform their antics until the last peanut is gone,” Eddie adds. “Some will try to carry more than one nut. Others will be picky, weighing each one before taking off with their favorite.” Eddie says you can buy raw peanuts where other birdseed is sold or at specialty bird-supply stores. “Peanuts in the shell cost more per pound than other feed, but only a few handfuls are needed each day,” he says. “When you look at it that way, it’s relatively inexpensive entertainment. “Occasionally, other birds, like the tufted titmouse, will accept these treats,” Eddie adds. “But you can always count on the jays to provide a day of fun for the price of peanuts.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Toppled Trees Inspire Creativity ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ STUMPED about what to do with an unsightly stump in your yard? Consider these ideas from clever readers! “When a windstorm broke off the tops of three trees in our backyard, I asked my husband, Michael, to make me some giant mushrooms,” remarks ArDonna M. of Marathon, Wisconsin. “He trimmed the trunks to look like stems, cut the tops at an angle, then fashioned mushroom ‘caps’ from larger tree stumps in our woods. “He nailed on the caps with 12-inch spikes. When we first made them, we were amazed at how many passersby slowed down to take a look.” Sue H. of Lower Salem, Ohio brightened up her yard by turning a stump into a large work of art. “We decided to turn a drab old tree stump at the end of our gravel road into a candle,” she explains. “To complete the effect, we painted the stump a waxy color, added a ‘flame’ and planted flowers around the base that will look like a candle ring when fully grown.” In Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, Egon L. also wanted to do something special with the stump of a tree that used to be a focal point in his yard. So he turned it into a living flower basket. “We put a flowerpot on top of the 5-foot-tall stump, added a wire framework for the basket ‘handle’ and planted ivy,” he explains. “After years of growth, the ivy has covered the whole trunk, pot and handle.” » View photo: http://www.birdsandblooms.com/RD.asp?ID=586&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ New Book Brings You the Best ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OVER 200 of the most helpful birding, gardening and backyard tips from the 2005 issues of Birds & Blooms and Birds & Blooms EXTRA magazines are packed into The Best of Birds & Blooms 2006. In this big, hardcover book, you also get 12 bonus features including plant hardiness and heat zone maps. Plus, the editors have added a new chapter, “All About Hummingbirds,” in recognition of the wonderful stories readers send about these amazing flying jewels. This impressive book is brimming with 350 fabulous, full-color photos on 256 pages. 8-3/8 in. by 11-1/8 in. Order The Best of Birds & Blooms 2006 from Country Store On-line. http://www.countrystorecatalog.com/RD.asp?ID=2048&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Featured Item from Country Store ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Super-Gro Tomato Booster Gift Set http://www.countrystorecatalog.com/RD.asp?ID=2049&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THIS NEWSLETTER is from the editors of some of your favorite magazines, including. 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