RDG Spring Prep 2017
Food, Feeder, and Fotos!!!
This has been a crazy Winter here in New England. We got a lot of rain, a few snow storms, and some single digit nights followed by 50º plus days. On the last weekend before the end of February, the mercury briefly topped 65º! Not sure how March is going to fare, but the RainyDayGarden folks are already thinking Spring 🙂
Cole’s Wild Bird Feed
During March and April, food in the wild is low because new growth/plants have not quite emerged. We like to put out food during this time to make sure our feathered friends are able to get over the hump.
The wild bird feed we use comes from Cole’s. We like Cole’s because they don’t use any fillers. Not using fillers means that nothing gets picked out by the birds and flung to the ground. The following are the blends we have used with great success in previous years:
The new one for us this Spring is the Dried Mealworms. Mealworms are high in protein and good to offer during nesting season. BTW, mealworms can also be a good protein source for people as well (baked/fried versions are packaged as snacks and may be found in health-food outlets, if you want to give them a try).
Suet is good for birds which feed on insects but can’t find them in the Winter. However, feeding suet to birds is not just for winters months. Spring is also a good time to put out suet as nest-building is an energy-demanding task! There are certain people (in the office, we’re not saying who), however, who frown on suet for birds as, in general, backyard birds do not eat cows, and Cole’s has listened: three of its suet products are made with vegetable suet.
Modern suet formulations like Cole’s are packed with much more than just suet. Cole’s suet cakes include ingredients such as seeds, nuts, fruits, and insects. It is like an energy bar for the little frequent fliers!!!
Cole’s Tubular Bird feeder
A tubular feeder is a great all-purpose way to make available sunflower seeds, seed blends, and Suet Kibbles for birds that like to perch on “branches” when eating. The large metal loop at the top makes it easy to hang. We particularly like the “antiqued” finish on the cap, perches, and base.
The Cole’s Terrific Tube Feeder is 100% Made in the USA with state-of-the-art materials to prevent warping and discoloration. The perch comes with covers that mimic the feel of real branches to make the birds feel right at home.
The feeder has a Quick Clean removable base. The side buttons release the bottom for fast and easy cleaning. Just wash it and pop it back on. No fussing with screws so no tools needed!
It looks to be a great feeder for the RainyDayGarden and we are eager to see what our visitors make of it.
Wingscape 20MP BirdCam Pro
With the new food and feeder, we definitely want to have a record of the expected activities in the RainyDayGarden. The camera we will turn to is Wingscape’s new 20MP BirdCam Pro. We have had great success with the Wingscape BirdCams over the years. They are simple to set up, easy to use, and have worked well under all kinds of conditions. So when Wingscape told us they upgraded their BirdCam Pro from 8MP to 20MP, we were eager to see what the new camera could do.
We have detailed the features of Wingscape’s BirdCamPro in past articles. We will briefly mention the more important ones here:
- 20MP camera with flash
- Motion-activated or timed capture
- Digital photos/videos with sound
- Weatherproof construction
- Versatile mounting options
- Records to internal memory or removable CF card
We will set up this high-res 20MP BirdCam Pro at the window feeder and see what we get. We are especially interested in how the images compare to those of the previous versions (5MP, 8MP).
Amazon links to items mentioned:
Cole’s Wild Bird Feed
Feeder and BirdCam
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