One of my favorite things about working at home is the ability to work in different places: the kitchen table, on the patio, in the living room, etc. - Thank you wireless network.

Ok… since I have a 1 1/2 and 4 year old, it is a necessity as well. =-) There are times it would be nice to hide behind the boxes in my basement.

My favorite part of roaming are the house are the outdoors. From my patio and all the windows at the back of the house, I see the bird feeder. I have a newly planted garden from Spring Hill Nursery (check out the complete garden plans) in the front of my house.

Bird Feeders

Rose-Breasted GrosbeakI was lucky enough to see a rose-breasted grosbeak pass through. He was there for only 1 hour before flying on.

We have a pole system from Wild Birds Unlimited. On our pole, I have a thistle sock, a cage for pure suet, and two bird feeders with safflower and sunflower seeds. My next mission will be a bird bath — probably just a flower pot base set in the ground. =-)

If you have a Wild Birds Unlimited store near you, it is worth the visit. They are experts in recommending bird feed and feeders that will work for you. I have been able to reduce my population of black birds and starlings by changing over to a pure suet cake (not the ones with nuts and corn in them) — and the best part is that the woodpeckers like this better than the other stuff. Check out the educational section of their website, for information of what seed attracts what birds.

A great book about birding is National Audubon Society North America Birdfeeder Guide. It talks about:

  • placement of nesting boxes and feeders
  • bird-friendly flowers, shrubs and trees
  • types of bird seed and feeders that different birds like
  • bird identification pages which includes photos of a sitting and bird in flight.

Hummingbirds

Finally, if you have hummingbirds in your area, put out your feeders. I recommend a hummingbird feeder with perches (they actually prefer these and will sit on them). And don’t be shy about buying one that sticks to the window. To make the nectar, add 1/4 cup sugar to 1 cup of water and boil until the sugar is dissolved.

In Michigan, the official date is May 1st. The boys arrive first with the females coming in a couple of weeks. I would hear the first hummingbird around 5:30 am and the last about 10:00 pm at the height of summer. The boys would dive-bomb each other. They are quite entertaining.

Enjoy!