If you have extra nectar, just throw it in the fridge--it keeps for a week or more if you keep it cold. I have a bunch of 8 c. carafes that I'll be filling nonstop come the middle of July. :D

The mops are sold here wherever nectar feeders are sold. They've got a long wire handle on them with a foam mop on one end. You use them like a bottle brush. Remind me tomorrow and I'll post a picture. :thumbs up

I'll stick it to you Hazel and remind you tomorrow! :D

[QUOTE=hazelrunpack;909545]If you have extra nectar, just throw it in the fridge--

[/QUOTE]

Throw it in the fridge :eek:....doesn't that make everything sticky :rolleyes:

[QUOTE=Chris21711;909656]Throw it in the fridge :eek:....doesn't that make everything sticky :rolleyes:[/QUOTE]
:laughing: Sm@rt@$$!!! :laugh:

Okay, then....pour it into a glass carafe or jar and place it on a shelf in the fridge. :p Better? :laughing:

[QUOTE=hazelrunpack;909545]The mops are sold here wherever nectar feeders are sold. They've got a long wire handle on them with a foam mop on one end. You use them like a bottle brush. Remind me tomorrow and I'll post a picture. :thumbs up[/QUOTE]

[COLOR="Indigo"][I]Uh-hum...arms are crossed and toes a tapping here. :whistle::D[/I][/COLOR]

Oh, crap. :o

I forgot to bring the new one in from the shed, so you'll have to settle for a pic of one on it's last legs. :p I'll go tend to that now. :o

Here ya go:

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Keep in mind this one is about to croak. The brown on the foam is rust from the action of the vinegar I use to clean the feeders on the metal handle. They won't look that bad in the store. :p

Thank you Hazel! :thumbs up

So the spongy end fits through the little neck of the bottle to clean the inside of the carafe then right? I don't think I've seen anything like that around my area. I have long handled thin brushes but their more like bristles then the foam. The bristles don't get close to the fat edge of the carafe. :frustrated:

The foam makes it easier to get around the neck of the bottle where it fits into the cap with the feeder ports. Sigh...that's so hard to explain. :laughing: I should have taken a pic of the feeder, too. :frustrated:

Oh, wait...I'll bet I have one from last year with a feeder in it! :headslap: brb

Crap....no pictures of the glass part without the ports attached. :frustrated:

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But see where the glass meets the plastic? The bottle actually narrows down there to screw into a tube inside the red part. That leaves quite an angle in the glass right behind the narrow part to clean--and that's where the mop comes in :thumbs up

If you want, and you remind me (:rolleyes:), I'll try to bring another feeder out of storage tomorrow and take a pic with the ports off. :laughing: I should bring in some additional feeders for cleaning, anyway. :D

The opening is smaller than a pop bottle. I have 3 of them where the little neck sits inside the ports. I thinks me gets it but I just gotta find one of them spongy cleaners.

Didn't have time to do the nectar tonight but will be sure to mix up a batch tomorrow and a hanger out there.

How long does the extra nectar keep in the fridge after making? :shrug:

Yep, smaller than a pop bottle :thumbs up

Nectar keeps in the fridge for 10 - 14 days, if I recall (we usually can't keep it around for more than 24 hours :o). Same rule applies--if it starts to look opaque or cloudy, pour it down the sink and make fresh.

Kewl. I bought an air tight container last year specifically for nectar. I sure hope that I can persuade them to come a callin' this year. :fingerscr

I'll bet you can! With all the gardens at your house, you must be attracting them!

I just looked at my hand scribbled nectar recipe on the fridge and want to make sure I wrote this down correctly;

1 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
Boil for about 5 minutes
Adjust the quantities in equal parts for bigger batches.

Does this sound right? :shrug:

That would be good for a first batch. It's stronger than needed, though. Once you've gotten them to come to your feeders, you can use 4 parts water to 1 part sugar--so 1/4 c sugar to a cup of water :thumbs up

I usually make the first batch sweeter in a 3:1 ratio--coming off of migration they can use the extra calories :D

[COLOR="SeaGreen"][B]Hummingbirds :cloud9:[/B][/COLOR]

Wait a few more weeks and madame hazel will be posting so many hummer pics you'll get sick of them. :p

[QUOTE=hazelrunpack;909884]That would be good for a first batch. It's stronger than needed, though. Once you've gotten them to come to your feeders, you can use 4 parts water to 1 part sugar--so 1/4 c sugar to a cup of water :thumbs up

I usually make the first batch sweeter in a 3:1 ratio--coming off of migration they can use the extra calories :D[/QUOTE]

Got a batch mixed up tonight and hung one of my 4 feeders out. WHOOT! WHOOT! :thumbs up

I just added your above instructions to my fridge post for more batches so now it's time to play the waiting game. :fingerscr:fingerscr

I still haven't seen any :cry: madame hazel is gettin' a tad impatient, even though she usually doesn't see any for at least another week into the year. :o

[QUOTE=hazelrunpack;910028]Wait a few more weeks and madame hazel will be posting so many hummer pics you'll get sick of them. :p[/QUOTE]

[COLOR="SeaGreen"]NEVER :D[/COLOR]

[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]If the Bluebirds don't step on the gas a little, the new house is going to be occupied by the Tree Swallows.........although I'm hoping that they are not too impressed with the perchy thingy.[/COLOR]

[COLOR="Red"]I have one lonely male Cardinal, comes to the feeders all of the time on his lonesome.........so if anyone has a female who's looking a tad lonely, send her my way :D[/COLOR]

ok I have this bird that shows up this time every year, stays about 3 weeks (hopefully will get a pic later today), I have no idea what he/she is, there is always only one,
size of a redcap woodpecker
long dark pointed beak
medium brown, red cap, black bib/chest, and his rump is white
he doesn't eat from the tree's but rather hops around the yard pecking deep holes into the ground....not much of a description but everytime I try to get a pic he flies away.
any idea's??

Check this out: [URL="http://www.wbu.com/chipperwoods/photos/nflicker.htm"]flicker[/URL]

Are you seeing something like that? There are two 'flavors', the red-shafted and the yellow-shafted. The markings are the same, but the color pattern of the red and black patches differs.

More April birds...
 

I have tons of pics to post but my connection is not particularly robust. :frustrated: I knew the DSL speed was too good to be true :o

Anyway, supposedly it's just my download speed that is suffering--my upload speed still tests out to be near normal. So I'll give this a shot. :fingerscr

My helpers for these pics are Ember and Macie, eager to start, as you can see :D

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We found that many of our old friends, like the black-capped chickadees, are still around.

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Like all the full-timers, the chickadees are turning their thoughts to romance. This little guy is singing a romantic tune. hazel just [I]knows[/I] it's a romantic song, cuz why else would he be singing with his eyes closed? :o

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The blue jays are still around--getting noisier every day. :D

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The mourning doves are pairing up, just hangin' out together and occasionally practicing their synchronized grooming.

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The male goldfinches are finally puttin' on their courtin' coats and making conquests of the heart. :lovestruck:

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The Downy Woodpeckers are still hamming it up for the camera...

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They're just as tame as they were in the winter, even though they're nesting now. Every morning they fly in to gorge on the suet.

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hazel considers any pic that shows the brown of the iris to be a close-up. These qualify. :D

This doesn't:

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Can't see the brown of its eyes. :p :laughing:

The white-breasted nuthatches are suddenly scarce--hazel strongly suspects they're busy nesting. They're making a lot of noise calling back and forth, but they're not showing themselves very often. Wish them luck :goodvibes:

The red-breasted nuthatches, on the other hand, visit every day.

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Did you notice the tongue on that shot? Look again:

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It's the whitish thing just to the right of the yellow gob of suet. :eek: :laughing:

The Hairy Woodpeckers are still more shy than the Downy Woodpeckers...

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...but will brave even madame hazel and her camera (as long as she is quite still) to get some suet:

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The Purple Finches are still hanging out in small flocks up in the tops of the trees.

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