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Converted from paper version of the Broad Ripple Gazette (v14n23)
Right in my Own Backyard - Bundle Up - It's November - by Brandt Carter
posted: Nov. 10, 2017

Right in my Own Backyard header

Bundle Up - It's November
If you feed the birds, be sure the feeders are in good repair and clean. It's also good time to clean up under the feeder before the snow falls. If you have never fed the birds before, this is a great time to start. Getting a new feeder and the right seed or mix will give you hours of enjoyment.
Let me share a few stories-It never ceases to amaze me how early children can be entertained by birdwatching. We had a mother and two-year-old come into the store to get seed. The little girl knew her names of the birds that visit her feeder. She would walk around the store and point to a bird picture and say the name of the bird. Birdman Gray, an ornithologist that has led bird walks for our store, often tells the story of growing up on his grandfather's farm in the 50's and learning the names of all the birds and creatures that inhabited the farm very early. This knowledge stayed with him his entire life and shaped his adult hobby of birdwatching. He has written articles, been on councils for expanding interests in birdwatching, especially for minority groups, and lead trips as a guide to faraway places. The final story is again about a young girl growing up on a farm in northern Indiana. She was given the gift of caretaker of all living things on the farm. She was quite smitten by the birds and then butterflies and moths. Her childhood was in the late 1800s. Gene Stratton-Porter grew her love of nature and especially birds into a career as an author and filmmaker in the early 1900s. She wrote columns for national magazines, such as McCall's and Good Housekeeping, among others. Her novels have been translated into more than twenty languages, including Braille. At her height of popularity in the 1910s, she attracted an estimated 50 million readers. Eight of her novels, including A Girl of the Limberlost, were adapted into moving pictures. In fact, she owned a movie studio. So as I write, I believe it is not just about birdfeeding. It is about opening a world of nature around you and appreciating what is in your own backyard.
So what's new? Again Steve and I went to a backyard birdfeeding convention in October. We met people from the east coast, from California and Montana, and even Mexico. The hot products were flavored suets, more insect and mealworm products, and some unusual feeders. Solar everything for the yard was prevalent. Serving the Broad Ripple area, we have seen an increase in peanut feeding. Why people are turning to peanut feeding is first? The birds that are attracted to the feeder are fun to watch; and second, there is minimal, almost no, mess under the feeder.
You can have multiple feeders depending on the seed or blends you want to offer. Sunflower, safflower, niger (thistle), millet are just some of the seed that feeders have been designed to dispense. There are also holders for suet, fresh or commercial, and corn. The import thing to remember is the feeders need to be easy to fill. They should also be placed near your house so you can enjoy watching all the activity. You might want to add a window birdfeeder if you want an up close observation window.
This November as we get ready to spend more time indoors looking out and to purchase and give gifts, think about the birds in your yard. They would appreciate the extra food and water you provide. And, who knows, you may introduce a future author or nature advocate by sharing your birdfeeding station with others.



Brandt Carter, artist, herbalist, and naturalist, owns Backyard Birds at 2374 E. 54th Street. Visit her web site www.feedbackyardbirds.com. Email your bird questions to Brandt@BroadRippleGazette.com




brandt@broadripplegazette.com
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