WHAT WILL WE FEED THE BIRDIES DURING QUARANTINE?


 What Will We Feed The Birdies During Quarantine?

BY: PEGGY WILLIAMS AKA Birdie of Mississippi

 

I have not gone shopping during this quarantine.  My children have told me to stay at home and let them either order online or have them pick up a click list for me.  I thought I would have enough bird supplies until we come out of the “Stay At Home” period, but due to the heavy rains my birdies have eaten a lot more than normal to help them keep their energy level up.  Forty or fifty pounds of birdseed can get expensive to ship, but thank goodness our Senatobia Co-op carries birdseed!  I phoned ahead, put my check in an envelope on the bed of my truck and they loaded two 50 lb bags with no contact!  It felt good to support a local business and receive great curbside service! I hadn’t thought of the co-op last week when I ran out of suet, so one of my new things to learn during quarantine was how to make homemade suet. 

Here is my recipe:

½ c shortening or bacon fat

               ½ c Peanut Butter (Creamy or Chunky)

               1 c cornmeal

               1 c rolled oats

               ½ c flour

               1 c black oiled sunflower seeds

Mix together in a bowl and shape into a block and wrap in plastic wrap.  Place the blocks in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to firm it up before putting it in your suet cage.  This recipe makes 2 suet cakes.

On Good Friday I had my first hummingbird to return!  He flew up to my kitchen window and began to search for the two feeders that I always hang there during Hummingbird season.  Due to the rain, I had not gotten my feeders filled and hanging.  It was obvious that he was very hungry, so I quickly prepared Hummingbird nectar.

Here is my recipe:

4 c water and 1 c refined white sugar. 

Boil the water and when it reaches its boiling point stir in the sugar until it melts.  Take it from the hot burner and let it cool totally down before pouring it into your feeder.  Never add red dye or honey to your homemade nectar because neither is good for the hummingbird.  I began to have customers at the Birdie Café as soon as I hung the feeder.  I have had 1 male and 1 female about the size of my thumb come so far this week and it is so much fun having them whiz past my head as they fly to the feeder!

Due to the lack of traffic in the streets I have read many posts from all around the world remarking that they are now hearing lots of birds singing as people stay at home during the quarantine! What a pleasant change from heavy traffic!  I am so very thankful that we have birds to enjoy watching and listening to as they sing and cheer us up during all this gloom.  Thank you Jesus for reminding us to “look at the birds of the air” and remembering that you care for us in the midst of all the troubles of this world!

My photos may be viewed & “LIKED” on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest - “Birdie of Mississippi”.

E-mail: birdieofmississippi@gmail.com - Read my Blog @ http://www.birdieofmississippi.blogspot.com

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