Focus will be shifting to Birds for winter. I just heard my friend White throated Sparrow. Winter is coming if she's here
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/...

Need some millet and safflower. I want to get out the welcome mat for them! I did get my pure suet, but will wait for cool/cold weather.

Also, seems we heard several noisy nuthatches in the woods the other day. Do they migrate through, or just like that place? There are big beech trees, huge Liriodendron, other mixed trees. I really should learn some smaller common understory trees and shrubs.

want to talk seed collecting for next year's butterflies? The thread "2016 Fall Seed Collecting (for winter sharing!)" in Mid Atlantic Gardening forum

Just filled up my bird feeder today! Saw a woodpecker on our dogwood this weekend-- very pretty.

Filled a couple of feeders here last week... there are still plenty of seeds and bugs in the garden, but oru feathered friends wasted no time in bellying up to the bar.

There are so many bugs in the garden that I have problems collecting seeds. No matter which seed heads I lop off, when I take a close look I see practically microscopic beetles, spiders and tiny insects fleeing in alarm when I start separating out the seeds.
I leave seed heads on paper or in containers on the ground so the wee beasties can escape before I put the seeds in baggies, but it's amazing how many there are!

Since my old, 3-tube feeder was beyond fixing it up--I tossed it last fall.
SO---I ordered a new, brass, 3-tube feeder from Amazon ($58) and it will be arriving Thursday.
http://www.birdfeeders.com/res...

Hope this link comes true. It is the only way I can feed birds and not worry about squirrels trashing it. I hang it from below my patio roof. It stays dry....No critters can get to it.
Of course--this depends on how far down I hang the feeder from under the roof of my Patio.
It cannot be closer than 4 -5' from anything the squirrels may use as a jumping off place. Such as my patio chairs--table-- etc.
THAT is how my old 3-tube feeder got trashed. The squirrels did it.

Hope this works. I had the old one since 2000...I think..

I have some smaller feeders too--but the problem is what to hang it from
so it is critter-proof. Gita

That's a nice-looking feeder, Gita.

Very nice! When I clicked on that link, it offered me 10% off my first order, probably for signing up on their email list (just FYI).

I've pretty much gone to using the "No No" feeders... they are not squirrel proof in the sense of squirrels not being able to get the seed, but they are at least damage-resistant. Need to find my thistle feeder in the basement... I still have a couple ziplocs of nyger seed in the freezer!

Jill
I went through the Amazon site...First time shopper there..
They offer all kinds of "shipping specials"--but they cost money,
The picture I added was from another site.

In doing the order, I went through a lot of errors and ended up, them
,placing a duplicate order. My ignorance..
This led to me contacting the "help" line--which led me to a foreigner
trying to "help me". He kept repeating ,over and over, that he will delete the
duplicate order. Over and over...I could scream by now...

Then he said that he was sending me an e-mail with the cancelling information. I went my e-mail as we talked....
This took over 1/2hr. to get so far.
SO--There was the cancellation e-mail...Except---(Ready??) the item in the email was 100 heirloom tomatoes. I think I screamed at the guy after that....Gave him a negative feedback....

Checking back to see if i was just charged for one--everything seemed OK.
This is why I do not shop on-line. I don't know all the ways around all the ordering process...like--just clicking on "my cart" to see what was in it--resulted in showing a second order for the feeder.
HUH???? G.

PS--They just delivered TWO feeders to me . The Guy was very nice and offered me several options. He could not do anything--as he is just delivery.

I will talk to Aina re this--she shops at Amazon all the time.

Options:
1--IF only ONE feeder shows as paid for on my Checking Acct statement--the second is mine to keep. FREE!!! Their mistake. It even shows that I bought ONE on my order invoice which I printed out.

2--IF my bank acct. shows that I was charged for TWO--then I have to call Amazon and they will have to come get the extra one and give me a refund
for one of them.

This feeder cost me $58.81. NOT chicken feed....
Anyone have any other bright ideas?
Thanks, Gita

Amazon has a 1-click order button that I dislike. However, if you ever order from them in the future and need to change, cancel, or check on an order, you can look at your order history and do it easily from there (if it hasn't shipped yet). we're hooked on Amazon Prime for its free shipping / free returns convenience. They do let you print prepaid return labels for things like this, too... Aina should be able to help you with that.

Still a sweet feeder! hopefully worth the $ and the hassle...

I spotted 2 chrysalises or galls (?) on Culver's Root plants today. Any idea what they are?

Praying mantis eggs . LUCKY!
Coincidentally, Mark has a new pet

Woohoo!! I haven't seen any in my garden this year, but I'm glad they were there.
When do they eclose, emerge or whatever? Do you think they'll be okay if I cut down the stalks and prop them up in a sheltered spot in my back yard for the winter instead of leaving them where they are?

http://outlawgarden.com/2015/0...
http://www.keepinginsects.com/...

Muddy--

My house was built in 1969. Before that--there was nothing but woodsy
things...trees and scrub.
I used to go walking in the wasted fields just for fun. That is where I first
saw Praying mantis egg cases.
I did cut off the stems from the scrubs and take them home and tie them
to a plant I had, Kept an eye on it--and, one day, in spring, I saw them emerging. Tiny green Preying Mantis's maybe 1/2" long.
They were hooked on to each one as they were "born"...

I also heard from someone that even at that tender age--they would eat w=each other. Not sure if this is true....

If you go hunting for PM egg cases--go walk in unkept fields of high grasses and shrubs. Their nests will be on stems and reeds about 3'-4' tall.
If you find any--go ahead and cut the stem they are on and put it where you want. A fun "hunting" trip....Wish I could go walk around again and look for them. Nowadays--everything here id developed... Gita

https://www.bing.com/images/se...

Sally---
You posted ahead of me on collecting the Praying mantis eggs...

I had a notice as I was sending my post off... G.

But yours was more interesting and personal

Thanks, Gita and Sally!
I would love to be able to see them emerge in the spring.

I cut back a lot of the "scruffy" stuff around the fruit trees this year, so might have to go hunting for mantis cases myself... wonder if they'd use a twiggy shrub, like the black pussywillow or the fig? I brought a little one inside on my pant leg last week... so I know they're out there! The big ones like to hunt under the porch light.

We are very lucky to find one in our yard every year. Mark's pet was found near some woods and a parking lot, a pretty ' unnatural' area. We need to look at the big field, it seems perfect, loaded with grasshoppers that she's been eating (he brought some home).
She's a she, and getting fatter, we are hoping for an egg case.