November Guide for Attracting Birds to Your Backyard

Winter is fast approaching and in some areas has already arrived

Birds are busy preparing for the difficult conditions ahead. Cardinals, Juncos, Finches, Grosbeaks and others are forming flocks. Birds do not like to be alone when looking for food so they pool their resources. Providing a feast in your squirrel proof birdfeeders, a place to keep warm in your decorative birdhouses, and heated bird baths for your birds will provide a payback of their presence for months to come.

Bird seed

Best November Seed Mix

50% black oil sunflower
40-45% white millet
5-10% safflower, striped sunflower or shelled peanuts

• Cardinals, Chickadees, House Finches and Nuthatches will kick the white millet to the ground. Birds like Juncos Sparrows, Doves and Towhees will find it there which is where they prefer to eat it. If a lot of Juncos find your backyard you may need to add a ground feeder to your yard. White crowned Sparrows will return to the area they found food last year. So feeding consistently helps to ensure birds are in your yard year after year.
• Fill your decorative bird feeders late in the day or very early for more activity. Cardinals, Jays, and Grosbeaks will feed on sunflower in the morning and come back late in the day to finish off safflower, peanuts, or striped sunflower in your mix.
• Use tube, hopper or tray style feeders for your seed mixes with tube and hopper style being the best in snowy areas.
• November is good time to reposition your feeders so you can see them from your windows
• If you have Gold Finches wintering over in your area, you will need to have nyjer seed. This seed always need to be in a separate feeder preferably mesh style nyjer feeders. If you have a birdbath it is a good idea to put the feeder near your heated birdbath.
• Don’t forget the Brown Creepers. They are a non-seeding eating bird that you can attract with shelled peanuts. Make sure you hang stainless steel peanut feeder in a tree near the trunk. If you have trouble with squirrels hang it from a disc-style baffle to discourage them.
• Jays love shelled peanuts these can be in a tray or on stump

Suet

• To your birds this is their pumpkin pie. This month suet eating birds such as Nuthatches, Creepers, Woodpeckers, Kinglets, Bushtits and Yellow-Romped Warblers feed heavily on suet because their calorie needs are higher. You will go through more suet this month
• Use a suet cage or a log-style or tail-prop suet feeder.
  
• When you put out your suet feeder smear it with peanut butter and seed. Sometimes birds do not recognize suet as food.
• Mount or hang your suet feeder in tree where you can easily see it , birds will come very close to the window.
• As the weather gets cooler it is best to add a couple more feeders
• Be patient because attracting a wide variety of birds to suet will take time
• If you were to feed only one thing to your birds this winter it should be a high quality seed blocks with nuts and black oil sunflower. Their advantage is that you do not have to refill them everyday.
  

Mealworms and Fruit

• These are also great for your birds. Many birds have lost their interest in fruit but sometimes you can interest them in dried raisins, cherries and cranberries.
  
• Mixing the dried fruit with dried mealworms is even better. Mealworms can also be mixed with seed or suet pellets to help attract the birds.
• Put the mixture in any type of tray feeder.
• If you are in the area of the country where it doesn’t freeze you can continue to put out apples cut in half next to your birdbath.
  

The need for Water in November

• Birds rely on their clean feathers to help keep them warm during the cold winter months. Cardinals, Jays, Robins, Finches, Bluebirds and Wax Wings are some of the birds that will be looking for open water and food. Once they discover the ice free water in your backyard they will keep coming back.
• That is why it is important to have a bird bath that has thermostatically controlled deicer. This will ensure the water temperature is just above freezing. It is best for the birdfeeder to be metal or plastic. Try to avoid ceramic or cement birdbath unless you live in an area that has milder temperatures.
• Fill birdbaths with fresh water every day
• Several birdbaths is a good idea also.

Some other tips

• Your nesting boxes and decorative birdhouses should be cleaned and ready for use. Birds will roost in them to stay warm.
• Don’t cut back all your seed heads or other vegetation. Birds will use these for food and protection. I have my front lawn very manicured and cut back. But I leave my backyard dense and overgrown for my birds.
• When doing your lawn care keep around some piles of brush for your birds. Very often they will use them to keep warm but also can be a great place for them to hide from predators.
  

As you sit cozy and warm at your kitchen table sipping on some hot chocolate, you will enjoy your visiting birds for months to come. Following these tips will help to keep your birds well fed and cared for during these difficult winter months

If you are looking to get yourself a new decorative birdhouse, outdoor wooden furniture, outdoor Christmas decorations, tuned wind chimes or anything else for your Backyard make sure you visit my website.

I am adding Squirrel proof bird feeders and birdbaths to my website by Mid December so come back and see my selection,

Other Related Articles:
Choosing a Bird Feeder for your Backyard
Cleaning Your Bird Feeders
Reasons to put up Bird Houses in the Fall
The Best Places to Go Bird Watching

This Thanksgiving Why not Grill your Turkey in Your Backyard

Try grilling your Turkey this holiday season. Once you do you probably will never go back to using your oven. Grilling adds a smoky flavor and creates a crispy skin. It is easier and requires much less clean up.




The Many Advantages of Grilling

• Basting is so much easier because there is no leaning over


• Taking the heavy bird off the grill is easier than out of the oven.


• Checking the temp of the turkey was also easier.


• No Turkey pan to wash or lift, or take up space in my kitchen


• Super moist, gently smoky flavor


• Plenty of room in the oven for cooking and keeping sides warm

Charcoal or Gas Grill?

• The most important weather condition to watch out for is wind. Wind robs heat from outdoor cooking appliances.


• You will need an indirect fire that will hold a steady temperature in the 300 degrees F. to 350 degrees F. range


• If the weather isn't going to cooperate I strongly recommend gas. You can control the temperature much easier


• If you want to use charcoal you will need a way of lighting additional coals outside of the grill. A charcoal chimney is really the best method for this.

Prepare Your Turkey for Grilling

• Use a Turkey between 12-15 lbs.


• The day before, brine the turkey to keep moisture in and prevent dryness. Remember when the turkey is removed from the brine to rinse it off thoroughly in the sink with cold water until all traces of salt are off the surface inside and out. If you choose not to brine your turkey you can inject and baste your bird to keep it moist and tender.


• Turn the wings back to hold neck skin in place and don't tie up the bird, because it slows down the cooking of the thighs. Brush the turkey with oil. Season with salt and pepper, inside and out. Don't hesitate to prepare your turkey like you normally do.


• The turkey should not be stuffed, as the cooking method makes it difficult to ensure the stuffing reaches a safe temperature

Getting Grill Ready

• Turn the heat up all the way. Once it reaches 325 degrees turn off the middle burner. You want to use indirect heat for roasting. If your grill only has two burners see notes below about turning and rotating


• If you are using a charcoal grill you want the coals in either a ring around the turkey or banked on either side of it. You want even heating so one side does not cook faster than the other.


• Set a shallow pan (an old disposable aluminum pie pan works fine) on middle of the grill to catch the juices for basting and drippings for the gravy. Add water or chicken broth to this pan.


• If you want that smoked flavor you will need, wood chips for the gas grill or wood chunks for the charcoal grill. You can use a fruit wood chip like cherry or apple or an oak or hickory. Soak the chips for a while, and then put them into an aluminum foil "pouch" leaving a small opening, for the steam/smoke to escape.


• Don’t forget to have plenty of fuel on hand. If you are using a gas grill you really need an extra, full tank on hand. If you are using charcoal, make sure you have plenty.

Now You are Ready to Grill

• You need a meat thermometer to test for donenesss


• Set the turkey, breast side down on a well oiled V rack over the pan catching drippings or aluminum roasting pan.


• If you will be using a rotisserie, grilling will be pretty easy. You just need to keep a close eye on the bird to make sure that the skin isn’t burning.


• If you have three burners you will be using two of them. This creates heat on both sides of the turkey so that you will only need to rotate the turkey every hour.


• If you have dual burners you will you will need to rotate the bird after about 30 minutes, flip and rotate 30 minutes after that and rotate after another 30 minutes.


• If you are using charcoal you will want to keep a close eye on the temperature to keep it in the right range. Add additional burning coals as necessary to keep temperature in the range between 300 and 350. Also rotate about every hour

While Your Turkey Cooks

• After about 2 hours you really want to start testing the temperature. Your target temperature is 165 degrees F. This needs to be the coldest part of the turkey since you need every little morsel at or above this temperature. Test in several places.


• Internal temperature rises only about 10 degrees every 15 to 20 minutes, so keep this in mind when determining the next time to recheck. You don't want your bird full of unecessary holes from rechecking too often.


• Since you are grilling at about the same temperature you would in an oven you will need about the same amount of time to get your turkey done. Cooking times table


• Periodically add broth or water to dripping pan to maintain a moist environment and to keep the drippings from burning away


• Once turkey is done, remove from the grill and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving. The resting period allows the juices to flow back out into the meat.
  
• Remember if the weather does not cooperate or you start getting short on time you can always move the turkey to the oven and finish it off there.
  

6 Things to Consider When Decorating Your Lawn this Holiday Season

It is that time of year again to pull out the old outdoor christmas decorations and decide what to do this year. You may want to toss several lights and lawn ornaments that have become outdated or pretty run down looking. Now what do you do? Here are some things to consider as you decide how your front lawn will look this holiday season.
(Note I received a comment on digg about recycling your old christmas lights..see comments)

1) Choose a Theme

• It is better to have a few related outdoor Christmas decorations than many unrelated items. Decide if you want to go modern or traditional. Bright Christmas colors with Santa or a more subdued look with a nativity scene. It is important that you do not mix themes. Santa and a nativity scene together on your front lawn is not a good choice.
  
  
• Keep in mind what your closest neighbors are doing. If neighbors seem interested in having their Christmas lights visible from outer space, perhaps you should take the high road and create a subtle, but extraordinary display. Consider using all one color so as not to clash with the holiday kaleidoscope surrounding you.
  

2) Determine the Lights you want to use

• Mini lights are lower voltage, sparkle, and come in many colors. Mini lights come in a variety of prices. Beware of cheap sets because they will not last as long and could have the whole string go out if one bulb goes out. These lights also come in LED.
  


• C7 or C9 lights are the traditional lights. Their large size makes them easily visible and bright. When a bulb goes out the string will always stay lit. C7 bulbs are just over 2 inches, while C9 bulbs are just over 3 inches long. These lights also come in LED.
  


• Icicle lights are a very popular light set to hang from your roof. They are usually available in both multi and clear.
  


• Net lights are great for bushes and trees. These are a mini light that usually come in multi or clear lights and green or white wire.
  


• Rope lights are a great alternative if you are tired of untangling strings of lights. Most rope lights are about 18 feet long and come equipped with mounting clips and cable ties for easy hanging. Rope come in all colors imaginable.
  


• Moravian lights, Starlight Sphere and various other design lights can also be a nice addition to your Christmas outdoor decorations

3) Determine what Outdoor Christmas Lawn Ornaments you will use

• Inflatable lawn ornaments are increasingly popular and much easier to store than more traditional large yard decorations. Due to their incredible size though you’ll want to use these sparingly, even a large lawn is better off with only one.
  
• Holographic Christmas decoration are nice because during the day the holographic design add Christmas cheer to your outdoor decorations. At night lights will bring these decorations to life. Very often there are in Disney or Peanuts animated characters, in additional to the traditional Designs.
  
• Sculptured Illuminated Decorations are designs made out of rope lights. These can be found in a multiple of classic designs including reindeer, Santa, and nativity scenes
  
  
• Outdoor Topiary is a great subtle addition to a traditional theme or design that focuses less on color and more on a natural setting.

4) Put a Plan together

• When planning keep in mind that less is better than more. You want to convey the spirit of the Holidays with out having your lawn looking like a miniature theme park.
  


• Sit down and plan out your design. Draw a rough sketch of your home and yard and draw in where you’d like to place your lawn decorations. Planning will allow you to put up your Christmas Outdoor Decorations up more quickly when the time comes and also create a better overall design.

5) Determine the Number of Lights you need.

• Check the lights you already have to be sure all your strings are working. Plug in the strings and check for bulbs that no longer light. You can easily replace bulbs. Aside from checking bulbs, you should also check the wires. Finding frayed or exposed wires means that it is time to for you to buy new lights.
  
• Decide how many feet you'll need to light up all the areas you'd like to decorate, such as your doorways, windows and roof line. Don't forget to include measurements for width and length.

6) Make sure you have Everything you Need for putting up your Decorations

• Extra light bulbs for lights that may have burned out or will during the next month or so. It is always good to have a supply on hand
  
  
• Gutter hooks are needed and sometimes you will need more that what is provided with the sets or some may have disappeared from last year
  
• Wireless Remote control power switch or outdoor timers are excellent tools. They enable your lights to go on or off with out having to go out side. A very worth while purchase
  
  
• Several extension cords are usually needed to connect all your lights and decorations together. Make sure that the ones you use are sturdy and safe for outdoor use
  
  
• Connectors are sometimes unavoidable if one outdoor Christmas lighting string is not enough for a specific area. You should make sure though that your connectors are not too exposed and are kept away from wet areas. You can put electrical tape around the connecting line for extra precaution.

7) Some Final tips to Consider before you go Shopping

• Don’t deviate from your plan and theme when you go shopping. It is very easy for you to get carried away when shopping for outdoor decorations so decide what you are doing, stick to your plan and do not deviate!!! When you see something you like that is not related to your theme or plan-DON’T BUY IT!!
  
  
• Whatever you buy for your outdoor Christmas decorations, remember that you have to find a place to store them for the next eleven months.
  
  
• Price does matter. Fire incidents have happened due to cheap but faulty Christmas lights. You can avoid getting these sub standard products by choosing local government standard approved products. Standard outdoor Christmas lighting may be a little more expensive but avoids the potential fire hazard
  
  

ENJOY PUTTING YOUR OUTDOOR CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS UP THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!!!!!

November Backyard and Garden Care Tips

Your squirrel proof birdfeeder is clean and full of seeds. Your decorative birdhouse has been cleaned and is ready for birds to roost in. You have planted your bulbs, cut back your periennels, and raked your lawn more times than you can count. And even winterized your outdoor garden fountain. So what could be left to do you say???...

There are still a couple more chores to complete before winter arrives. Keeping the lawn free of leaves is not all that has to be done in November.

Outdoor Furniture

If you live in the area of the country that has a winter season. This is the time to put your outdoor wooden furniture in a shed or garage. Other outdoor furniture should be covered.

If you live in an area that you are able to use your outdoor furniture year round this may be a good time to clean your outdoor furniture again. Specific cleaning instructions are detailed here..
Tips for Protecting Your Furniture From Water, Temperature, and Chemical Damage are also worth reviewing..

Prepare your Roses for Winter

Regardless of where you live, roses will require some preparation during the coming weeks. For those living in warmer hardiness zones, your tasks will be minimal. For those in colder climates, extraordinary preparations may be required. I found that GardenGuides.com gives great information by zone on this...

Trees and Shrubs:

• During the winter months, rabbits often gnaw on the bark of recently planted young trees. Apple, pear, crabapple, and serviceberry are frequent targets of rabbits. To protect these young trees from damage wrap it with either wire mesh, plastic wrap, or cylinders of hardware cloth. These materials should stand about 1 to 2 inches from the tree trunk and extend several inches above the expected snow depth. The bottom 2 to 3 inches should be buried beneath the soil.
• To help prevent winter injury of evergreen plants, make sure they are well watered going into freezing weather.
• Prune shrubs and trees that touch the house — in other words, create a breathing space between your house and your plants. Other than pruning as suggested above, it is best to wait to fully prune most plants until late winter. (Do not prune flowering shrubs and trees until after they bloom in the spring).

Other Garden Chores

• Mulch garden beds, but not until later in the month when plants are dormant. Use no more than 3 inches of mulch -- over-mulching holds in too much moisture and will lead to rot.
• Thoroughly water all your perennial plants to survive the winter
• November is a good time to place an order for new fruit trees, if you plan to plant or replace any trees next spring. Order only cultivars that will do well in your hardiness zone or location

Care of Garden Tools and Equipment

• Remove caked-on soil from shovels, spades, hoes, and rakes with a wire brush or a stiff putty knife and wash thoroughly with water
• Wipe the metal surfaces with an oily rag or spray with WD-40 to prevent rust.
• Sharpen the blades of hoes, shovels, and spades.
• Sand rough wooden handles, then wipe with linseed oil to prevent drying and cracking.
• Remove grass and other debris from the underside of the lawn mower. Drain and change the oil on mowers with four-cycle engines. Clean the air filter. Check the spark plug and change it if worn. Start the lawn mower and let it run until it is out of gas. Sharpen the mower blade.

Now seat back and relax till springtime

Wait a minute you can't relax you need to think about getting down your outdoor holiday lights to see what light sets need to be replaced. Need a new outdoor Christmas Decoration? So much for sitting down!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you are looking to buy a decorative birdhouse, outdoor garden fountains, outdoor candle lanterns, outdoor wooden furniture, outdoor wrought iron furniture, ceramic tile tables, tuned wind chimes, or garden yard stakes. visit my website for the lowest prices of the 2008 season.

Other Related articles
October Backyard and Garden Care Tips
September Backyard and Garden Care Tips

The Best Places to Go Bird Watching

I found "All About Birds" website that has fabulous information about Birds.

What caught my interest on their website this week was "Where to Bird"

They identify their 50 favorite birding spots. For each spot they tell you:

1. What makes it special


2. Geographic location


3. Habitat description


4. When to go


5. Birds to look for

The Birding Spots are organized by region. Click on the links below to see the spots for that region

• West


• Southwest


• Central


• Northeast


• Southeast

20 Things You (Probably) Don’t Know About Birds

While surfing around the web I found this cool article in BirdWatchersDigest.com

1. There are 9,567 different bird species alive today. Fossilized remains, however, show that at one time there were more than 150,000 different bird species on this planet.

2. Although the swift can reach speeds of up to 170 mph, most experts agree that the world’s fastest bird is the peregrine falcon. It can fly at speeds in excess of 200 mph! The world’s slowest flying bird is the American woodcock. At top speed it can move at 5 mph!

3. A vulture once collided with a jetliner over West Africa. The jet was flying at an altitude of 37,000 feet! Vultures have the world’s slowest wing beat - 1 beat per second. Hummingbirds, on the other hand, beat their wings up to 90 times per second.

4. A group of chickens is called a peep. There are more chickens in the world than people. They only have 250 to 350 taste buds compared with the 9,000 or so we humans have. They absorb vitamin D through their combs from sunshine and have really bad night vision. They are also the closest living relatives of Tyrannosaurus rex.

5. The goose was the first bird to be domesticated by man. An ancient story tells how a flock of white geese raised the alarm when Rome was attacked by the Gauls, and thus saved the city. Incidentally, speaking of the ancient Romans, they also ate flamingo tongues and regarded them as a rare delicacy.

6. Studies show that most wild birds will die in their first year of life. But if they can survive this first year then they stand a strong chance of living for some considerable time. The American robin, for instance, can live up to 12 years and both the great blue heron and the Canada goose can live for more than 23 years, the blue jay for more than 18 years, and some blackbird species for 15-plus years.

7. Not only is the ostrich the only bird on the planet to have a urinary bladder and an eye that is bigger than its brain, it’s also the largest known flightless bird, weighing in at over 300 pounds and standing up to 8 feet tall. It’s also pretty nimble on its feet, having been clocked at speeds in excess of 55 mph.

8. The world’s smallest bird is the bee hummingbird. It weighs less than one-tenth of an ounce, is around 2 1/2 inches long and has a 4-inch wingspan.

9. It’s reckoned that around 2 billion birds are killed each year in North America alone by pet and feral cats.

10. Swans mate for life. Some swans have more than 20,000 feathers in their plumage.

Read more....

Other articles that may be of interest to you:
Choosing a Birdfeeder for your Backyard
What you need to know Choosing a Decorative Birdhouse
5 Elements for a Wildlife Habitat in Your Backyard