Something to Crow About

Crows are fascinating little critters. There are lots of them in my yard these days.  Did you know?

Crows are considered to be one of  the most adaptable and intelligent birds in the world. They have their own little language which is very evolved and varied. They can mimic animal sounds. They are pretty smart! They can even associate the noises with distribution of food! You can find them all over north America and they will live successfully in cities or suburban areas with humans.

Night time is the favorite time for crows to roost and in the winter they'll roost in flocks of thousands. Smaller groups will fly during the day to fifty miles to find food.
Crows will eat just about anything available: insects, small amphibians and snakes, earthworms, eggs and nestling birds, and clams, mussels, and other salt-water invertebrates. They will eat carrion, garbage, and wild and cultivated fruit and vegetables.

Crows prefer coniferous trees and will build their nests of branches in twigs in woods or isolated trees at least sixty feet above ground. That's probably why there are so many in my yard....good habitat for them.


Crows have quite the good little family life going on. They lay 4-6 eggs. Both parents share in the care of the eggs. Of those hatchlings one young bird will hang around to help the parents through the next nesting season in caring for the new babies. They'll bring them food and guard the nest.
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The wooden hang tag pictured above is painted in acrylic and is available in my Etsy shop. Here's the link:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/42517293/handpainted-wood-primitive-tag-black

Going to the Birds....

...or at least that's the way I feel.  About 2 weeks ago my Jazzercise class started a new routine. That was the start of it. Numbness in my arm. So I go to the doctor who says pinched nerve and gives me some prednisone...it's been almost a week and it's no better.

So I'm thinking this morning, it's hell getting old. The aches and pains, the pulled this muscle or that muscle...now pinched nerves! It's irking my last nerve! But I guess the alternative to not aging isn't good either so I'll make the best of it.

Speaking of birds. I love birds. I have this little "island" in my backyard for birds. It brings quite a few of them in. I love to watch them.
So today I give you tips for attracting birds to your yard...you know it's like people it's all about food, water and shelter! 

Birds like people, like to eat so you gotta feed them so put out bird feeders. But when you put them out think about what kind of birds you want to attract. Maybe you want a variety. So put out a feeder with general mix of wild bird food. You might want another one with thistle  to see some goldfinch or even one with necture for hummingbirds. I like to leave an open dish of peanuts in the shells for my bluejay buddies! The squirrels also love them which is okay with me too. I'm not anti-squirrel.

All that food makes them thirsty so a nice bird bath will do the trick for a sip and a quick bath. I love watching birds flap around in the bird bath.  But make sure you keep that bird bath clean. We don't want dead birds in the bird bath! Of course with water comes mosquitos. I use a mosquito control rink that I put in the bird bath. It's safe for birds and it keeps the mosquito larvae away. Here's a link to one I found online:
http://www.shop.com/Mosquito_Control_Rings-73114744-90743006-p+.xhtml?sourceid=298 

So now their bellies are full and they need a place to rest their weary heads from all the flapping around in the bird bath. That's where the shelter comes in. Add a bird house or two but if you don't want to mess with the birdhouses even providing shrubbery, grasses or some trees will go along way.
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If you like the bird house pictured above. It's available in my Etsy shop. It is not suitable for outdoor use. It's purely for decorative purposes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have 2 bird houses in my shop. Here's the link for the one above:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/33502861/handpainted-bird-ofgsfc