Your robins will be sooo happy when you get one, Sally.
I have had a bird bath that looks like this one for a long time...seems like 10 years. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006HRQNQ/

I'm not positive it's the one I have, but it sure looks like it. I highly recommend it. It's $87 on Amazon ($129 at Duncraft!).

I would steer clear of this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006HRQNQ/ My DD gave me this for Christmas, so of course I use it, but the water evaporates from it way too quickly. I can fill it at night and the water will be mostly gone by morning. It looks nice, but it's a pain to have to fill it once or even twice a day.

It was very popular last winter!

I thought you all might enjoy this article, which was in my mother's local paper. I had been thinking of recommending to a neighbor that he get rid of the mistletoe in his maple tree, but not any more! http://www.blufftontoday.com/a...

Wow Muddy, that picture is the best!

Muddy, that picture is a fantastic testament to that birdbath. I'm putting it on my wish list for next Xmas.
I don't know if I've ever seen mistletoe. How common is it? I assume all clumps up in trees are squirrel nests.

we have a towhee, not often seen at my feeder.

I gotta' get some paths done tomorrow so I can fill the feeders. We had a flock of birds all day long at the feeders, so I know they're probably empty.

Eric4home said:I gotta' get some paths done tomorrow so I can fill the feeders. We had a flock of birds all day long at the feeders, so I know they're probably empty.

ditto-

I am have to do something about squirrels, they've become like the town deer here.

I think they have developed a taste for hot sauce.

Ric, what have you put hot sauce on that the squirrels still eat?

Anything the want. I think they were weaned on Texas Pete!!!

Squirrels don't eat the hot pepper suet I buy, even when I mix one block of it with 2 regular blocks. I press the suet back into the plastic containers and refrigerate them until they're firm again. It's powerful stuff; makes me sneeze when I get near it. I have learned not to rub my eyes after handling it, at least!

Sally, I just saw your question about mistletoe. I don't know how common it is around here. I think I've seen some in the forest; otherwise only on my neighbor's tree.

squirrels don't bother my commercial pure suet, either.

No problem, Muddy, haven't thought much about it until (coincidentally) I looked out today and saw a squirrel nest, and remembered asking.

Holly got a pretty good pic of a young sharp shin hawk sitting on our sunflower feeder.






Yeah, he's just hanging out waiting for :
"house finches and English sparrows, I consider those hawk fodder", IAW SallyG.

Wow! Great photo!

I'll second that!

And I'll third that

Yeah, he's just sittin' there waitin' for his fodder, you know English sparrows and house finches.

Hey! Hawks gotta eat too!

I just wish I could teach them to eat squirrel. It would not hurt my birdseed non-budget.

As I was heading out today to run some errands I noticed frenzied fluttering in a clump of low azaleas near the walk. We had covered the clump with deer netting and two juncos had managed to find an entry point and became trapped. The first one I released by tearing a small opening in the netting forcing the bird to it. The second junco, however, in its panic to escape the clutches of this huge monster (me) forced its way partially through the netting and became stuck. Further struggle entangled one of its legs in the fine cord of the netting. I had to individually break several strands of the cord to rupture the squares the bird was stuck and entangled in. Finally it was free. I held the frantic little guy briefly before tossing it in the air and I was struck by how small it seemed in my hands compared to seeing juncos feeding outside our kitchen window.