##\keycode.boilerplatetext## To see an on-line version of this newsletter, copy this link and paste it into your web browser: http://www.reimanpub.com/shared/pages/onlineemail.aspx?codelocal=Newsletters/BNB/2009/04/newsletter.html&firstname=##firstname##&emailaddress=##emailaddress##&refurl=##keycode## If you would like to change or edit your email preferences, please visit your Personal Preferences page. https://www.reimanpub.com/registration2/Login.asp?Newsletter=BNB&pmcode=##keycode## ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BIRDS & BLOOMS Newsletter - April 2009 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dear ##firstname[Friend]##, Do you receive our FREE Garden Club newsletter? Right now, you can win amazing prizes just by signing up for it! Take a look at the contest and prizes. And don’t worry. If you already receive it, you’re already entered to win! Get more details here http://www.birdsandblooms.com/Great-Garden-Giveaway-/detail.aspx?pmcode=##keycode## Read on to discover... >> Bird of the Month >> Best of Glad You Asked >> Project of the Month >> FREE Wallpaper >> Find Us on the Web! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bird of the Month: Baltimore Oriole ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Do you have your oriole feeders ready? You should start seeing these orange beauties in your yard soon. Want to know how to attract them? Get our tips for attracting orioles, and listen to their song. http://www.birdsandblooms.com/Baltimore-Oriole/detail.aspx?pmcode=##keycode## ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Best of Glad You Asked ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Seeking Spring “Snow” Our snowball bush blooms in spring, but the show doesn’t last long. We’ve seen other bushes in town that are still blooming into July. Why is this? --Frankie and Donald Hall, Warrensburg, Missouri Melinda: Several plants go by the common name of snowball bush. The most common spring-blooming types are the viburnums. Some have round white flowers that look like snowballs, while others have flatter flowers with a lacy appearance. The spring blooms fade as summer approaches. The white flowered hydrangea is also called snowball bush. It produces much larger and rounded flowers in summer. Take a closer look, and you may discover your neighbors are growing this type of hydrangea instead. Don’t Go, Goldfinch American goldfinches appear at my feeders near the end of April, then disappear about 2 weeks later. How can I convince these birds to stick around? --Doug Goodgion, Falls Church, Virginia George: In May, American goldfinches may move from your backyard to habitat that’s more suitable to their nesting needs. They seek out fields with plenty of thistle plants, which they use to build nests and feed young. All you can do to keep them around is offer the foods they prefer, such as nyjer (thistle) or sunflower seeds in the shell or medium cracked. Also, it’s possible that these finches have been in your backyard before April as well. Their olive-brown winter plumage is so dramatically different from yellow summer plumage they begin to sport in spring, that it’s possible they have been visiting your feeders incognito. Subscribers can access our Glad You Asked database with hundreds of questions and answers from George and Melinda. http://www.birdsandblooms.com/Experts/Backyard-Bird-Watcher.aspx?pmcode=##keycode## ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Travel Around Lake Michigan and Save $100.00! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Enjoy bustling cities, quiet harbor towns, fruit orchards, flower gardens and forest trails on our exciting journey around Lake Michigan. Reserve now and you’ll save $100.00 per person on your trip! Mention Promotion Code BENS when you reserve to claim your savings. See the details: http://www.countrytours.com/Tours_US/ALM/tdetail.asp?pmcode=##keycode## ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Project of the Month ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This coffee-can birdhouse is a reader favorite, and we wanted to bring it back just in time for spring. Build this inexpensive birdhouse with a recycled can! Start building... http://www.birdsandblooms.com/Coffee-Can-Birdhouse/detail.aspx?pmcode=##keycode## ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FREE Wallpaper ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Download great wallpaper for your computer, like this photo of an American goldfinch on redbud by John McKean. Take a look at our collection. http://www.birdsandblooms.com/wallpaper-photos.aspx?pmcode=##keycode## ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Find Us on the Web! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Follow us on Twitter! It’s a great way to stay in touch with our editors and keep up-to-date on contests! http://twitter.com/birdsblooms?pmcode=##keycode## ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Featured Item from Country Store ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Waterer/Birdbath http://www.countrystorecatalog.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-CS-Site/default/Search-Show?q=34429&refurl=I4032&refurl=##keycode## ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Where's Webster? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Find Webster and you could win a wheelbarrow from Lifetime Products! Look for him on the “Birds” tab this month. 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