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Monday, December 20, 2010

Birds on the balcony



I had so many things to share with you last week and then I got caught by the big dreadful stomach flu, the Norovirus. I have done little except from visiting the ladies room (…no, not to powder my nose), drinking water mixed with apple juice and sleeping… don’t worry I will not go into further details. Instead I will share my bird attraction experiment.


We live close to the forest in an area with lots of small birds. I love seeing the variety of birds that gather to eat seeds from the feeders people hang up in the trees. If we had a house I would put a food tray for the birds right outside our kitchen window. But we don’t have a house (my cup is half full).


So I need to find a way to attract the birds to our balcony. I am not sure if it is possible to attract birds to a balcony but I'm willing to give it a try. Since I haven’t found a balcony bird feeder I’m trying my own invention.


You need a few branches off a tree, an empty milk carton or equivalent, water and temperatures below freezing point.

Cut the milk carton to you get the desired height. Fill with water and put in the branches you have chosen. Leave outdoors (or in a really big freezer) until frozen. When completely frozen tear off the milk carton. Put into a wider container. I used an old wash basin. Pour water just to cover an inch of the wash basin or chosen container leave to freeze. Repeat this until the basin is at least half full of frozen ice. This is to give the base weight and sturdyness (if not the weight of the branches would make your frozen milk carton fall over).

I’ll show you how I decorated it later this week.

14 comments:

  1. Hope you feel better soon and that lots of birds come to your balcony to bring you cheer!

    I had the norovirus last year - started at 10pm on a Friday and I felt better by Sunday evening - not even a day off work ;o)

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  2. What a great idea, I want to try it on my classroom.

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  3. Wow -- this looks like a really neat idea. I'm anxious to see how you decorated it!

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  4. The feeder looks great. Hope you are all better now!

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  5. glad you are feeling better. and good luck with the feeder. i´m sure it will work :)

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  6. Gracias por tu visita!!!
    me encantan tus fotos, como estáis de frío?
    feliz navidad
    maria

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  7. Maria: estamos a -17 (!)

    Everyone else: Feeling better and taking the days slow. Christmas preparations are finished. What is left is very stress free.

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  8. This is a wonderful and "natural" idea. Definitly trying this.

    The stmachflu...is there anything worse?
    I hope you feel better.
    Klem.

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  9. Esa idea parece muy original. Gracias por tu comentario en mi blog.Me ha enantando. Ha sido una sorpresa . No sabía que lo conocías desde hace tanto tiempo .Con ese nombre y viviendo ahí , me extraña que escribas tan bien en castellano , ¿ eres española ?
    Un cariñoso saludo desde Madrid

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  10. I'd love to know how this works out. Seems like a very cool creation.

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  11. Hope you feel better now. Nice feeder ... hope a lot of birds will visit you :)

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  12. you ice vase is truly gorgeous !!!
    sorry to hear you've been sick and sening lots of get-well hugs xxx
    i was sick last week, too, but a different virus !
    anyway better last week than next week... oslo here we come :D
    merry Christmas to you & your family, Anne Marie ! and to more blog friendship in 2011 !

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  13. I have not seen one of those in a lifetime...absolutely unique and creative.

    Hey, you take what you're given...and you are definitely making good use of it!

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  14. I'm sorry to hear you were feeling poorly. I would love to see how you decorated this. Neat idea!

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