Settled and Serene

Yes, I realize it is end of July and I haven't posted anything since May. But I'm back to say there is life after opening a shop. Whew. It's been like having a baby. Everything is new and different with much to learn. Your life schedule totally changes.

Now that life has settled in at the shop and routine has taken hold somewhat, I am breathing easier and the birds in my yard have wooed me once again. Here are a few photo highlights of what has been happening at my feeders and in my yard the past week or so.

I apologize for the fuzziness of some of the photos. I am not very good with my awesome camera, but sure enjoy capturing these beauties anyway. The more I do, the better photographer I hope to become.

I hope you enjoy looking at them, too. Feel free to stop in the shop and chat about them with me and also what you're seeing out your windows at home these beautiful summer days in the Fox Cities.

Finally Can Breathe

Ok, I know it's been a while, but I've been just a bit busy. I feel like I delivered a baby, and in a way I have.

The shop, Go Wild With Birds, is now done. Details are being completed. Shoppers are discovering us. The front window is finished for the time being. Hours are posted in the windows. I just need to work some more on the website. I'm updating my blog. But overall, I feel I can breathe a little easier these days. I miss seeing my birds at home at my feeders in the yard....but I'm assisting others in attracting them to their yards and that is good. With daylight savings time, I am able to watch my birds for a bit before I go to work while having breakfast, and after I get home when I really need to relax. And the birds are always there. I am grateful for that. Be good to nature and nature will be good to us.

Sorry For Lapse in Postings

Hi Friends. I must apologize for no recent postings. Upon my return from vacation I jumped right back into work with both feet! I've been working diligently on shopping for some attractive packaging for my bird feed mixes that I hope to peddle to some local stores. I've gone back and forth about using and not wanting to use plastic bags. I am committed to finding recyclable and reuseable packaging for a product that feeds wild birds. I think I've come up with some good options for my finished product.

So anyway, I'm back to share more thoughts and ideas with you, my patient pals.

I hope, in the next few postings, to start a discussion on bird feeders. I plan to take pictures of some of the feeders I've used and am using, with the pros and cons I have personally found in using them. Today I went out to my snow filled backyard to refill my feeders. I don't get to them as often as I compulsively did in years past, now that I actually have my own business and work long hours from home.

I fill my feeders with my own tested and loved mix, but I recently filled my under deck space and ground feeder with plain sunflower. Today when filling my feeders, I was thankful that I did start that practice because even though the feeders I usually put my beloved mix in were empty, the under deck and ground feeder still had black oil sunflower in that the birds were using as a "last resort". So, they are still getting fed, just not the caviar they seem to prefer.

So let me leave you with that idea today. That is, allow yourself to experiment and try different feeds or seeds in different feeders. Those of you that are also compulsive and collect feeders like I have, will have plenty of options to experiment with. And if you do experiment, please feel free to leave your findings or thoughts here and we can discuss them.

So until my next posting, I hope some wild birds find a well filled feeder out your window!

Christmas Bird Count

Saturday, the 20th was my area's Christmas Bird Count. I promised I would watch my feeders that day and report on the number and species of birds that visited that day. It was the first day in many weeks that I spent so much time just watching like I used to. Those kind of days were "pre-bird business" days. Since my business started to "fly" back in June of this year, I haven't really allowed myself too much relaxation with my backyard birds. One was long overdue.

And because this was promised, I reveled in it. I started out with a leisurely cup of coffee with my honey. He asked what I actually had to do for the CBC. I told him that I had to count as many birds of a specific species that came at a time, to get as true a count of how many are actually in my groups in my area. So, once he knew he started to help me. Now, this is like the fourth year I've done the Count, but this is actually the first year he assisted me.

It was nice and companionable doing the count with him in the house with me. I would be in my sunroom/office while he was in the kitchen or living room doing tree decorating stuff. He would spot some birds and say his count, that would cause me to turn from my computer and look out my room's windows and start counting my view of that particular specie. Then we would compare notes or chat about what else we were seeing. It was a wonderful way to spend the day together. I will have fond memories of this year's Christmas Bird Count.

Now for what we actually tallied:
15 Mourning Doves, 1 Red Bellied Woodpecker, 2 Downy Woodpeckers, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 3 Blue Jays, 5 Black Capped Chickadees, 2 Tufted Titmice, 2 White Breasted Nuthatches, 1 Robin, 10 Cardinals, 14 Dark Eyed Juncos, 5 House Finches, 14 American Goldfinch, and 2 House
Sparrows.
Here's the Titmouse at the feeder, if you can find it. Sorry about my pix. I have a letter into Santa for a better camera to take bird pix with.

And a couple more shots I took on Saturday.
One Bird, One Bill.