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=625&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. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Birds&Blooms Newsletter - June 2006 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dear $$firstname$$, Greetings from BIRDS & BLOOMS magazine! Can you name a bird that rhymes with June? How about loon? We’re featuring a loony quiz in this issue and providing tips for summer flowers and birding in your backyard. Read on to discover... » This Quiz’ll Drive You Loony » What to Feed Hungry Hummers » Do You Have Lazy Hydrangeas? » Enjoy Cooking Outdoors? » Safety Net for Backyard Birds » This Is Mushroom Mayhem! » Become a Weekend Gardener ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This Quiz’ll Drive You Loony ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ COMMON LOONS, also called great northern divers outside North America, are waterbirds that can be found on lakes, reservoirs, coastal bays and ocean coasts. They migrate from breeding grounds in the north to the coasts of North America. Test your knowledge of some unique qualities of the common loon: 1. Which state claims the common loon as its official bird? A. Wisconsin B. Maine C. Washington D. Minnesota 2. In general, how deep can the common loon dive for fish? A. 20 feet B. 75 feet C. 100 feet D. 200 feet 3. On average, how long do loons stay underwater when they dive? A. 40 seconds B. 1 minute C. 2 minutes D. 10 seconds 4. In winter, does the common loon look different? A. No. They look the same. B. Yes. They molt to become completely white. C. Yes. Their head and back molts to an ash-gray. D. Yes. They turn completely brown. 5. Why do you usually see only a pair of common loons in one area? A. They are rare birds. B. They are territorial. C. They take turns with other loon pairs to use an area. D. You don’t. Several pairs regularly nest near each other while breeding. 6. Why are loons mostly seen in the water? A. Because of the way their bodies are designed. B. They are clumsy on land and have difficulty walking. C. They are well adapted to living and fishing in the water. D. All of the above. 7. What do young loons usually eat? A. Seeds B. Algae C. Fish D. Baby formula » Visit the BIRDS & BLOOMS website for quiz answers, plus stories about loons and to hear their call. http://www.birdsandblooms.com/RD.asp?ID=627&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$#answers ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Plan now to start the New Year with a rosy outlook! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SAVE $50.00 Per Person! As a valued subscriber of the BIRDS & BLOOMS newsletter, you’re entitled to travel savings of $50 off per person on the “Rose Parade Holiday” tour when you book by June 29. Experience the New Year’s Day Rose Parade in sunny California. You’ll be treated to an up-close preview of the parade’s colorful, flower-filled floats...hear the toe-tapping rhythms of the Rose Parade’s bands at the Bandfest...watch the parade from reserved street side seats...and more! Visit our website for a complete itinerary and reservation options. Act now to claim your subscriber travel savings. http://www.countrytours.com/RD.asp?ID=1710&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ Don’t delay! Savings end June 29. Use promotion code BL25. 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=1709&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ What to Feed Hungry Hummers ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “WHEN HUMMINGBIRDS return to our place in spring, they’re usually hungry from their long migration,” shares Kimberly B. of Hammondsport, New York. “To help them replenish their energy, I keep my sugar-water feeders full and offer them a buffet of fruit—apples, oranges, grapefruits, kiwifruit and pears, to name a few. “I’ve seen hummers eat all of these fruits, but they’re especially fond of oranges and kiwi. As a bonus, the fruit also attracts a variety of other birds to my yard, including some I don’t usually see at my bird feeders.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Do You Have Lazy Hydrangeas? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ IF YOUR HYDRANGEAS haven’t bloomed, keep in mind that white-flowered hydrangeas bloom in summer on new growth. Therefore, they can be pruned in fall or spring. While they’re one of the few shrubs that flower in shade, heavy shade can reduce or eliminate blooms altogether. The same is true if the plant receives too much nitrogen. Stop fertilizing the plant and see what happens. If it blooms, excessive nitrogen was the culprit. It’s a different story if you have blue- or pink-flowering hydrangeas. They produce blooms on old wood, not new growth. Therefore, these plants shouldn’t be pruned back in fall—wait until after they flower. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Enjoy Cooking Outdoors? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ WHILE ENJOYING the great outdoors, try grilling up some tasty meals for family and friends. You can count on the newest member of the BIRDS & BLOOMS “family” to help. Allrecipes.com, America’s largest online recipe source, has joined forces with Reiman Publications—and we’re planning to become the only recipe resource you’ll ever need! To learn more about Allrecipes.com—and choose from thousands of great grilling recipes. » Visit AllRecipes.com: http://www.birdsandblooms.com/RD.asp?ID=628&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Safety Net for Backyard Birds ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ DO YOU have a problem with birds flying into your windows? If so, this tip from Rosemarie W. of Cleveland, North Carolina might be helpful. “Birds started hitting our picture window after we installed a feeder near it,” Rosemarie explains. “We tried applying decals and hanging ornaments and other items outside the window, but nothing seemed to work. Finally, we installed 1- x 4-inch boards along the trim on each side of the window, then stretched a piece of black nylon screen from one board to the other and stapled it in place. “The boards are attached with screws so we can easily remove the ‘safety net’ when we want to wash the window. We haven’t had an injured bird since we did this. The screen apparently eliminates the reflections of sky and surrounding foliage that often trick the birds into thinking the window is an open passageway.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This Is Mushroom Mayhem! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you’ve spotted a circle of mushrooms in your yard, you may have what is called a fairy ring. This lawn disease produces circles of mushrooms or dark green grass and is caused by several different fungi. The symptoms typically come and go throughout the growing season and from year to year. Each time the circle returns, however, it’s usually slightly larger in diameter. During wet periods, the fungi reproduce by forming mushrooms. When they appear, break up the mushrooms with a rake to prevent children and pets from eating them. The good news is that fairy rings won’t harm your lawn. The bad news is that, if you don’t like how they look, there aren’t any chemicals available to treat the fungus. Proper lawn care, such as watering during drought and fertilizing as needed, should minimize the symptoms. » View photo: http://www.birdsandblooms.com/RD.asp?ID=626&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Become a Weekend Gardener ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE WEEKEND GARDENER from Reader's Digest features more than 40 quick outdoor improvements, each of which you can accomplish in a couple of days. 450 full-color photos and 70 detailed illustrations guide you step-by-step through creating flowerbeds and borders, container plantings, paths, hedges and more. You also get tips on tools you'll need and how to maintain your impressive creations. This 192-page softcover book is filled with simple projects to make your yard and garden the prettiest in the neighborhood-and have the time to enjoy them! Order The Weekend Gardener from Country Store On-line: http://www.countrystorecatalog.com/RD.asp?ID=2140&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Featured Item from Country Store ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Flower Citronella Candles: http://www.countrystorecatalog.com/RD.asp?ID=2139&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BIRDS & BLOOMS Claim Your FREE issue of the only magazine for bird and flower lovers! For details, visit: http://www.birdsandblooms.com/RD.asp?ID=629&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BACKYARD LIVING Claim Your FREE issue of America's Favorite Backyard "How-To" Magazine! For details, visit: http://www.backyardlivingmagazine.com/RD.asp?ID=149&pmcode=$$refurl-link$$ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This email was sent to: $$email$$ HAVE A FRIEND who enjoys bird-watching, bird feeding or backyard gardening? Feel free to forward this newsletter! 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