Hot Tub

Hot Tub Time Earl Plato

Hot tub anyone? Daughter Bev and husband Chris enjoy their sheltered outdoor hot tub year around and why not. Marion Aird of Valley Way, Niagara Falls has a hot tub but it’s for her visiting birds. A plugged-in heating element in her bird bath serves the purpose well. Other bird lovers provided this essential service during our deep freeze in sub- zero January. Kudos to you and the Airds. Marion was excited about some of her bird bath visitors. A Northern mocking bird was a regular visitor. Great!
However, one day while the Airds looked out at the bath a most unusual sight - a black and white cat was sitting in the heated bath! I suggest to Marion putting up a sign. NO CATS ALLOWED! Love your birds year around.
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Terror at the feeders! Calls from Ridgeway and Niagara Falls recently in early 2004 regarding terror at their feeders. One songbird lover said, “It’s terrible. I have a large Yew next to the feeders and he comes and just sits there waiting.” Sharp-shinned hawks, acrobats of the accipiter family are the ones locally that cause most terror to our songbirds. These hawks are excellent fliers and can maneuver skillfully. Silent killers they can decimate the birds at your feeder and they do. What to do? I told the caller that Dave Mitchell of rural Fort Erie used a series of branches and piled them around his feeders. It worked and the hawk could not penetrate the close-knit maze to get at the songbirds. Not very esthetically looking perhaps but the cardinals and other birds received some needed protection.
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Feverish activities at the great bird feeders at Beaver Meadow Bird Sanctuary south of Buffalo, N.Y. Pine siskins and Common redpolls galore. At other places I have seen both of these species - smaller than our sparrows - farther north in Muskoka. Three photos arrived today from Niagara Falls nature photographer, Janice Haines. All subjects were the Common red poll with one a closeup. Great shots, Janice. Description - brown- streaked with a bright red cap and a black chin the Common red poll was never seen at my Ridgeway and Sherkston farm bird feeders. Have you seen any this winter? Lucky you for as I recall from Ernie Giles of the lake of Bays that these little birds are quite tame and trusting. You can walk up to these little guys as they allow closeup human approach. Is that right Janice? With Sharp-shinned accipiter hawks around locally this might not be a good trait. Dave Mitchell reported recently twenty or so redpolls at his feeders. Niger seed is the attraction. Dave has provided protection. Way to go.