2 Nature Questions (date, green, wildlife)

[mbmouse]

Originally Posted by Tinman313

Love those birds..... what feed are you putting out?

I keep a few kinds out. The main feeders I keep filled with a black oil sunflower mixed with berries, nuts and smaller seed. I have one filled with thistle seed for the finch types and several trays of a corn/nut mix for the blue Jays and squirrels. I also keep a squirrel block of corn/sunflower seed hanging on a bungee cord for the squirrels, wood peckers and nut hatches. I also keep a smaller finch block or typical bird bell hanging for the finches and small wood peckers. The most important part is to keep at least two clean sources of water available too.
Yea, I know, I spoil the wild life hahahahah
But no matter what I put out I have yet to be able to attract the Grosbeak that I have been trying to attract for 2 years now and I know they are around this area, just can't get them to show up in my yard.

[LauraC]

The leaves on that shrub/tree (can you tell I'm Laura in Natureland? ) were almost round (think fat teardrop) but thin to the touch, almost see-through, and very small (no more than 1 inch) . I'll go back to Cove Lake soon. I know exactly where I was. I'll be more observant and look at the stem, too. Maybe I'll take a better photo of it and stop by the Ranger station and ask them to tell me.

I signed up for a Nature In East Tennessee class in April. I hope I get it. I need it.

[TN Tin Man]

Try buying some "Cheap Peanut Butter" and some of that plastic mesh they use at wedding for favors and put a hug dollop of peanut butter and then cover with your dry seed mix and rotate into a package about the size of a apple. Hang that....The birds are able too pierce the web mesh with their beaks....

Grosbeak use just pure sun flower seed.......

[mbmouse]

Originally Posted by Tinman313

Try buying some "Cheap Peanut Butter" and some of that plastic mesh they use at wedding for favors and put a hug dollop of peanut butter and then cover with your dry seed mix and rotate into a package about the size of a apple. Hang that....The birds are able too pierce the web mesh with their beaks....

Grosbeak use just pure sun flower seed.......

I do that with my old paper towel and t.p rolls! hahaha I slather them with peanut butter then roll them in the seed, hang it out back. Can ya tell I was a Scout Master? LOL!

[BULLARD]

Key to common trees of middle Tennessee
is a user friendly website for tennessee tree identification based on leaves

[TN Tin Man]

Originally Posted by mbmouse

I do that with my old paper towel and t.p rolls! hahaha I slather them with peanut butter then roll them in the seed, hang it out back. Can ya tell I was a Scout Master? LOL!

Good way too re-cycle.......Scout Master

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by BULLARD

Key to common trees of middle Tennessee
is a user friendly website for tennessee tree identification based on leaves

Thanks. I like this website. It also tells me how to look at the leaves so I can use it for identification. It's better than the book I have.

[mbmouse]

Originally Posted by LauraC

Thanks. I like this website. It also tells me how to look at the leaves so I can use it for identification. It's better than the book I have.

Great! So what kind of tree was that one with the bird in it?

[Beretta]

Laura,

I just wanted to mention that you might want to check out the Smoky Mountain Field Guide classes offered through UT. They have wildflower, bird watching and identification, other similar classes. They seem to be right up your alley.

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by SmokyMtnGal

Laura,

I just wanted to mention that you might want to check out the Smoky Mountain Field Guide classes offered through UT. They have wildflower, bird watching and identification, other similar classes. They seem to be right up your alley.

I thought about this before I moved here but I could not handle being on my feet and/or trying to keep up with a group walking from 4 to 8 hours. I've read the one-day class descriptions and anything mentioning "hike" or June - September (being out in the sun walking during those months) is out. When the class description says, "We’ll travel to various locations in the Park," I'm not sure what "travel" means since in some descriptions they come right out and say "hike."

What I would really like is a scenario like I had with my beginning photography class - we met once a week for a classroom lesson and then had a field photography assignment (based on the classroom lesson) to complete on our own for the next week's class. I would love a Bird course, for example, where you learn about waterfowl, one week and then have to go out and find them/observe them/photograph them before the next week's lesson on birds of prey or warblers or some other bird group. Ditto trees.