Karen (kbdoolin) has been here this past week. We've been lambing and weaving our butts off. Well, mostly I've been lambing and she's been weaving (although I did get a warp for some dish towels wound and ready to thread up :-). She wove a beautiful scarf from some handspun Rebecca Boone and Woolliam.
The warp (long threads going from back to front on the loom - in this case Woolliam) ends that are leftover when you cut a project off the loom are called thrums. I usually save back a few thrumbs for tying yarn skeins and toss the rest out for the birds. Karen scattered hers in a nearby red bud last night and early this morning...
Within minutes the shelves were picked clean!
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Updated: We sure don't want to injure any birds or babies! See the comments section for more information.
7 comments:
How warm those nests will be! Thanks for sharing the booty !
Lovely lovely red bud trees- wish we had them here. But the cherry blossoms are opening now- and they are just as pretty.
When I groom the dogs I throw the fluff out for the birds.
An FYI from Carolina Waterfowl Rescue - http://carolinawaterfowlrescue.com/
posted on facebook - https://m.facebook.com/cwrescue/photos/a.10152224345290063.919768.130491590062/10156489686790063/?type=3&source=48
We've been seeing a lot of online posts lately suggesting using yarn scraps, twine or other material as outside nesting material for songbirds. While the intentions are good, please do NOT do this.
Yarn and any type of string, twine and even human hair can easily become tangled around birds legs, neck etc. and cut off circulation causing serious injury or even death. We get in many baby songbirds every year missing limbs due to string like materials in a nest.
If you want to have nesting materials in your yard, we suggest purchasing pre-made nesting material or use these natural alternatives.
Cloth Strips: Natural fibers – such as cotton, wool, jute, and burlap – make perfect bird nesting materials. Cut old fabric into pieces 3” to 6” long and no more than 1” wide. Longer pieces are too much for birds to handle and can even strangle them. (Fabric not strings)
Small Yard Debris: Pine straw, wheat straw, and tiny twigs make good bird nest building materials.
Grass Clippings: One of the most common nesting materials, grass clippings can be gathered into balls or simply left mulched into your lawn.
Animal Hair: If you brush or clip your animals, save the fur! It makes a wonderfully soft lining for bird nests. Just don’t use any hair or fur that’s been treated with flea dips or insect repellents.
Coco Fiber: Recycle worn-out linings of hanging baskets for bird nesting material.
Plants and Seeds: Fluffy seeds and plants, such as cattails, make good bird nesting materials.
Cloth Batting: Wool or cotton batting cut into 3”- 6” strips makes good nesting material.
Feathers: Providing feathers for nesting material is a great way to recycle old down pillows!
Moss: Sphagnum or Spanish moss make great bird nesting material (make sure it's not been chemically treated).
So glad you posted this. A friend of mine has a horse farm, and altho they don't put mane and tail hair out on purpose for the birds, it ends up in the nests anyway. It's heartbreaking later to see birds - babies and adults - who starved and died in the nest due to hair wrapped around their legs.
This is good to know. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for the guidelines. I will put out the combed kitty fur for the birds.
Bird art...I love it!
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