All posts by Tom Roberts

We got a nice 8 or so inches of snow today. Because it tends to drift up in some spots we need to keep the paths to the feeder stations cleaned up. I suppose in year past they would use a shovel or simply keep the feeders where they could be filled with out worrying about trudging through 3 feet of snow.
We chose a spot for the main feeder station that is right outside our bedroom window. This servers 2 purposes. One, we have a nice view of the feeder station and the bushes which form cover around it, and it is close enough for the web cam.

The cam on the other side of the house was hit by falling ice early in the month but we figured that would happen. So in October we built a new station with the idea of moving the camera. One thing has led to another and the cam is still not up but we hope to fix that soon.

We picked up a nice little computer to run the cam. Its a lot like our pavilion media center in that it has a dual core 2.2GHz processor and a gig of ram and came with xp media edition. The model number is s3200t and it is really small. The CD/DVD drive is sideways. Crazy. But it is super fast and does not take up much room. It cost less that $500.00. Our first computer, if I can remember, was a 265 processor with a 20 meg hard drive. I think we had something like 120 megs of ram but I could be wrong about that, after all it was a number of years ago. The point is the stupid thing cost us about $1600.00 and that was with dos 3.1.

The really funny thing is I have a little flash drive used for small files and it has more space than the hard drive on that computer. And it cost 5 bucks but I digress.
We should get the cat 5 cable, yes we use cables, installed tomorrow and then its as simple as setting up the camera and the mike. Then we just wait for the birds.

The past few days we have accumulated about a foot of snow, not a lot by most standards, but enough to have the birds looking for food.

The lilac tree next to the main feeding station was full of sparrows. They group together to gain shelter from the driving snow. That side of the house makes a good spot for them. There are several trees and of course the feeding station.

We had to snow blow a path to the station this morning through a foot and a half of drift but once the path is started it’s a breeze. Phyllis wasted no time filling the feeders as the birds come to expect it.

There was no sign of the bunny today. He is probably hunkered down and even if he could have made it out he would have had trouble with the snow. It was over the bumper of the RV where he likes to eat. Phyllis filled his dish anyway and hopefully he will make his way to it tomorrow. We plan to build a hutch for him in the hopes that he will have a safe warm place for the winter. I am fairly sure he is a domestic rabbit as he is all black and wild rabbits are usually gray unless they turn white in the winter like the snow shoe hare.

Anyway he looked cold the other night with his ears pulled back tight.

Since we began making clay bird feeders we have had many special requests. Usually customers ask to buy unfinished or unglazed bird houses or feeders for embellishment.

Recently we received such a request for a number of the china hat houses. The customer wanted to cover them in mosaic tiles to make a Mosaic bird feeder. We thought this would be interesting and asked for some pictures.

Low and behold today we got the photos of the finished product.
mosaic-bird-feeder
We are always looking for new and interesting uses for our feeders and houses. Feel free to send us your pictures.

Today we took advantage of the balmy 39 degree temps to replace the covering on the studio extension.
While we were nailing the plastic down we were accompanied by the ever-present song of the chickadees.
As we continued to pound we notices a click click click, coming from one of the white pines . Apparently we had piqued the interest of one our our resident Curious Downy Woodpecker. Sure enough we could see in the tree, close to the trunk, a female woodpecker keeping time to the hammer blows.

Then suddenly as she appeared, she was gone. We probably were not as interesting to her in person as we first sounded. I looked around for a male but there was none in site. Just the female downy, chickadees, a few juncos. I thought I heard a nuthatch too but we could not spot one.
Hopefully we will soon have the bird cam moved out back to the larger feeding area where we put out suet and nuts for the woodpeckers.

This morning we found an adult ruffled grouse dead in the driveway. There were now marks or indication what so ever as to indicate the cause of death. It was near but not close to the feeders on that side of the house but we have never seen a grouse at the feeders before.

At first we thought a dog might have left it, but there was no obvious feather damage or wounds. Sometimes birds will fly into a window but it lay away from the window so that could not be it. It’s a mystery to be sure.

Perhaps it just walked up and dropped dead form old age or disease. I have found birds like this in the woods, dead from no apparent reason. Ruffled grouse do not migrate so the chances of catching some deadly form of bird flu is doubtful.

They are indigenous to this area and it’s not uncommon to see one since we border a woods.
I remember my first experience with a grouse, although at the time I did not know what it was I heard in the woods. I was about 10 or 11 years old and I was trout fishing in a rather small stream behind the municipal water supply for the Village of Black River NY. I rode my bike to the spot and hid it in the underbrush because the land was posted.

The stream was 1 to 3 feet wide and I used a 4 foot fishing pole with about 4 feet of line tied to the end furl. This was the only gear other than a small hook and tiny red worm. The fish hid under the overhanging banks and the technique was as simple as dangling the bait over the edge.
The trout were usually small, 8 inches or so and native pink.

I can remember being a bit nervous because I was not suppose to be there. It was quiet and the wind was making the swooshing sound it makes when it blows through the tall white pine trees that populated the area.

I was quietly making my way along the bank, trying to be quiet so I did not startle the fish when I heard a thump. It sounded for all the world like someone stamping a big boot on the ground. The area was covered with pine needles from the trees and so the ground was flat with out twigs that would snap and break under foot.

The noise startled me, especially because I thought I was alone in the woods and I stopped fishing to listen. Nothing. Then THUMP, there it was again. I could not tell what direction the noise was coming from but it sounded loud. Then quickly, there it was again, THUMP, THUMP, THUMP.

That was enough for me. I high tailed it back to where my bike was. I calmed down when I entered the light of day and I remember feeling relived that I had made it out with my skin.

I didn’t ask or tell about the experience because I was where I was not supposed to be, and I thought people would think I was a sissy for being scared in the woods.

It wasn’t until years later I heard the noise again while bird hunting but by then I knew what the sound was so I wasn’t scared. Besides I was a few years older and I was carrying a shotgun.

We have quite a few feeders to keep full and so we buy seed in 30 lb or larger bags. Incidentally we use Blue Seal Feed because it seems fresh and the birds really like it. I suppose it is not a ultra premium feed but by the same token it is not discount store cheap.

We have learned by experience that the best way for us to keep the bird feed is to lock it tight in a metal trash can with a tight fitting lid. We use new galvanized cans and we wash them with soapy water before using. It would not due to use an old can when there is no way of knowing what kind of paint, leaking batteries or other poisonous substances were discarded.

The metal cans keep out the usual suspects including mice, chipmunks, raccoon, skunks and rats, yes rats. Sorry to break it to you but if you are feeding birds you are probably feeding a number of other creatures as well. If you don’t think so wait until an hour of so after dark and suddenly shine a bright light on the ground under the feeder. Yikes. But think of it this way, they will keep the place cleaned up !

Anyhow we had just brought a large bag of feed home from the dealer and we wanted to fill some feeders. The food in the cans was a few months old and so we wanted to clean it out and make room for new fresh food. So we brought the bag inside the house as most of the feeders are close to the house.

In a few days there seemed to be a number of small moth like creatures flying around the computer screen. At first this seemed harmless enough and there was no indication this was anything more than a few moths coming indoors for warmth.

But in a day or so there seemed to be a few more than just a few. In fact there were quite a few and although they were not exactly troublesome it was annoying to think the house was becoming infested by these winged invaders.

It was about then that Phyllis put 2 and 2 together and figured out that the moths were coming form the bird seed. The reason we never had this problem before is we usually keep the feed outside, cold and under wraps. It seems that once the seed was indoors the moths hatched due to the warmth. I guess we knew about this all along but we were not thinking about it since we rarely keep the bird seed indoors.

We reckon the moths are Indian meal moths and if they are not dealt with they can be a problem. Thankfully it seems we caught them in time and we always keep flour, cereals, grains and breads sealed tight to protect against any such pests. Never the less we will keep checking as one moth can lay over 400 eggs per day.

The best way to deal with these guys is to keep any suspect products like bird feed out doors and sealed up tight.

This one fall under the “we won’t do that again right away” category. That is until we forget it again.

Snow Goose or also known as Blue Goose photographed from Wellesley Island NY in late winter 2014.

These geese come through the area during their annual migration. We see them for a short window.

Cold weather and snow cover forced these birds to come south for hunting this year

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We offer Volume discounts on wedding favors when you order in bulk.
For example a single sand dollar wedding favor would cost $4.95 but when you order 51 or more the price drops to $2.75 and that is more than 40% off the base price.

All the prices are listed in the cart.

This is the first price adjustment we have made in more than 10 years and while the price for favors in quantities of less than has gone up a small amount, we have held the price on orders of more.

Most customers order well over 51 favors so the prices will are not going up for most.

If your order is larger than 300 favors, and we do get orders like this, we may be able to adjust the price further.

Please feel free to contact us for larger orders.

For all the hand work and added value like gift boxes and packing we feel this small change is fair.
Thanks,
Tom and Phyllis

While it’s cold outside, (In this part of the world it’s about 22 F and there’s a foot of snow on the ground) spring is definitely in the air and its time for Some spring wedding choices. While summer and fall still reign tops as the most popular times of the year to get married, spring should be given serious consideration. Here’s why.

Keeping prices down and making weddings affordable is becoming the trend and spring can be a good time to find values. Resorts that cater more to summer or winter visitors may be very happy to have business during what is considered off season.

Think about ski resorts and lakeside retreats. Reception and banquet halls tend to be less booked and therefore easier to negotiate with. You may have a better choice of limo services and photographers and tux rentals (just be sure to check when local proms are).

Fuchsia, mango and yellows are a few of the colors for 2010 and these can easily be incorporated into a spring wedding. Think bright yellow daffodils with pussy willows which match well with the yellows. Tulips come in a myriad of color choices from yellows, orange to rich red and golden yellows. Deep rose pink and white tulips in a pewter vase would be striking.

f lighter colors are more your style, you could incorporate crocuses, lilacs, cherry blossoms, crab apple blossoms, magnolias, lily of the valley or forget me not’s.

Because these are spring flowers and don’t have to be imported you will probably find them at very good prices from your florist. A bonus would be to get them from a friend or family member who already grows them and arrange them yourself.

When considering favors butterflies and dragonflies come to mind. Choose colors that will help your guests think of new beginnings, and remember the day with a thoughtful keepsake.

Spring is also a time for freshness and seasonal fruits and vegetables can be easily incorporated into your menu. Asparagus, spinach, greens (lettuce, endive, and escarole) radishes, peas and green onions are all in abundance at this time of year. Grilled asparagus with a balsamic dressing makes a wonderful side dish. Fruits in season include strawberries, rhubarb, kiwis, and lemons. Why not serve strawberry and kiwi salad with a lemon dressing.

Cupcakes are still popular but the new trend for wedding cakes seems to be a two tiered cake for each table. Why not do double duty and decorate the cakes with edible spring flowers such as Johnny jump ups or pansies. Then the cake could serve as a centerpiece.

Just as spring is the beginning to a new year, your spring wedding will serve as the beginning of a new life together.