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The Sew What’s New Archive
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From: Lise
Date: 04-30-2006, 08:22 AM (1 of 12)
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This has nothing to do with sewing although you might say that some construction is involved. I saw a most amazing sight this morning and am dying to share it and perhaps have comments. I have had a large ginger stray cat living on my back porch for about 7 years (he won't come in although there is an open invitation). He is provided with one of those padded and hooded cat beds raised on a chair so that I can see him through my kitchen window. The bed contains an electic heating pad that runs 24 hours a day. THis morning instead of ginger fur there was something black and white sticking out from the edge of the hood which on closer inspection turned out to be a chickadee gathering red cat hairs. He had a mouthful sticking out on either side like a bushy ginger moustache ! If only I had had my camera handy ! Any bird experts out there ? Is this surprising behaviour ? Lise 
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User: Lise
Member since: 07-24-2000 Total posts: 231 
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From: Lise
Date: 04-30-2006, 08:35 AM (2 of 12)
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I just realized that the heading of the previous message might have given the impression that the cat was there at the time but of course he was off somewhere at the time. Lise
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User: Lise
Member since: 07-24-2000 Total posts: 231
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From: DorothyL
Date: 04-30-2006, 12:17 PM (3 of 12)
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Now if the cat had black and white feathers sticking out of its mouth you would figure it ate the bird. Maybe the bird ate the cat? That would be unusual behavior for sure. I know people put thread out for the birds to use in their nests but I never heard of cats doing that! All I can say is that is one brave little bird. Dorothy |
User: DorothyL
Member since: 12-09-2002 Total posts: 3883 |
From: SummersEchos
Date: 04-30-2006, 12:52 PM (4 of 12)
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Had to be a cute moment. Birds will pick up anything to make a nest. My OD brushes her dogs and spread their fur around the clumps of hay. She also uses thread she bought at the dollar store, twigs she picks up around her yard. She places this little pile not to far from the bird feeders she has all over her yard. The first time she did this she had a full bale of hay, but it drew mice. So now she breaks the bale up and places it out as needed. She is excited this year she has a male and female pheasant coming to feed.
Summer
FREE FALLIN |
User: SummersEchos
Member since: 09-29-2004 Total posts: 884 |
From: Lise
Date: 04-30-2006, 05:49 PM (5 of 12)
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I shudder when I hear of thread being offered to birds unless it is in very short lengths. A long time ago I found a bird that had thread caught between its legs with a short twig in the middle that acted as a fulcrum. Each time the bird took a step the twig turned over tightening the thread until it had cut into the bird's legs. Unfortunately the bird could not be saved. PLEASE cut thread into very short lengths before making it available to birds. I save my dryer lint all winter and put it out as nest material at this time of year. Lise
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User: Lise
Member since: 07-24-2000 Total posts: 231
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From: Bama
Date: 04-30-2006, 07:48 PM (6 of 12)
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Poor little bird. I've seen birds collecting all sorts of odd things. Saw one with a piece of gum wrapper once. I bet your little bird was a cute sight with his orange fur mustache.  Good thing the cat was away.Last year I found the cutest bird feeder and hung it on our front porch about 3 feet above the rail where a hanging plant had once been. Hubby told me I had just made a buffet for our cats, so I took it down.  Bird feeders have to go up higher around here.
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User: Bama
Member since: 03-21-2000 Total posts: 2116 
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From: Chrysantha
Date: 05-01-2006, 04:02 PM (7 of 12)
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Squirrles do the same thing. They take hair, furniture stuffing, anything soft for their nests...I would have loved to see the bird with an orange mustache.
Chrys
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User: Chrysantha
Member since: 09-06-2002 Total posts: 2414 
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From: MaryW
Date: 05-01-2006, 05:29 PM (8 of 12)
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There was a crow flying over our house with a bag from McD's. Didn't know they delivered, did ya.
MaryW
owner/editor of Sew Whats New |
User: MaryW
Member since: 06-23-2005 Total posts: 2542 
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From: Jeke
Date: 05-02-2006, 12:04 AM (9 of 12)
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My daughter has never had her hair colored or treated. The gal that cuts our hair will ask my daughter if she can keep it. Apparently, she has a friend that sets it out for the birds to use, but it must be "virgin" hair. J Jay
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User: Jeke
Member since: 11-10-2004 Total posts: 232 |
From: Sewhappie
Date: 05-02-2006, 11:26 AM (10 of 12)
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In a previous post someone was talking about Squirrels, it made me think about the gray one that I saw this past Sunday while DH and I took a Nature Hike at the local National Park. They have a building on site that you can tour and learn more about the local wildlife. While walking around the rooms there is one with a big one way window, on the other side is a small pond, various height bird feeders and all the wildlife that one could ever think of. In one of the double caged feeders is a red squirrels just laying back and pulling out the seeds. Right in front of the window is another packed full of corn and a huge gray squirrel doing all sorts of flips and turns and hanging up side down trying to get to the corn. Didn't have any luck but it was amazing being able to see one as close as I was without it see me and running away. Oh and the Chipmunks and Cardinals!!!!!! Then from around the corner of the building waddle MR & Mrs Duck to the feeder that is there for them. While walking a trail DH had a Doe walk right in front of him!!!! He didn't even see her and see was about 10 feet in front of him. She stopped once across the path and just looked at us as we walked. The deer population around here has exploded to the point that they don't run from humans, they know that they need to share the surroundings in order to get any food. I even learned that Ohio has poison rattlesnakes here!!!!! Didn't see any, but I never knew that we had them either. We have a Cardinal family that makes it nest in my front porch wreath every year. |
User: Sewhappie
Member since: 10-27-2001 Total posts: 1427 |
From: Melanie T
Date: 05-02-2006, 03:30 PM (11 of 12)
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We had horses growing up and the bird nests in our yard were always made of horse hair. What was funny was that some birds would only use one color of hair. I had a black horse and a blond pony and the nest would usually be one or the other. The funniest thing I ever saw was a little bird trying to pull hair out of Rocky's tail (my pony). I guess he was tired of waiting for it to fall out so he was helping. The pony was trying to run away and kick the bird and the bird was following along holding on to a hair. Melanie
4 little sewing machine mechanics (6, 4, 2, Born June 14) Ontario Canada |
User: Melanie T
Member since: 09-21-2004 Total posts: 155 |
From: LoveSewin
Date: 05-03-2006, 11:37 PM (12 of 12)
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We had to rescue a poor little bird the other day that had somehow got his feathers caught in one of our mouse traps.... not sure how he got into it, but we had been out. We saw him hopping across the yard dragging it. My dh helped me get him out. I held him nice and snug so he couldn't move, and dh opened the trap. He seemed no worse for the wear and flew off. I was just happy to be there to help him! That's my bird story - not sure if it fits in 
Kim
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User: LoveSewin
Member since: 01-31-2006 Total posts: 103 
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