I'm guessing there were about 200 birds there, feeding on something in the grass. Since then, the temps dropped and snow fell (about an inch or so). Still not many starlings at the feeders, but yesterday the robins stripped those winterberry shrubs in the above pic. The hawthorn tree in the front yard is looking rather bare as well.
In November, my son's girl friend gifted me with an Erva purification disc for the birdbath. I finally "installed" it the other day. It won't keep the birdbath clean of dirt from the birds, but it is supposed to have antimicrobial properties to help limit alga and other nasty things invisible to the human eye. I've read old pennies (pre-1943) also work.
On a non-avian topic, the other non-slip application on the ramp into the shed is failing. My next plan of action is to find something I can screw into the wood. Hopefully that will solve the problem.
Despite the long to-do list in my last post, there are a few more things I would like to tackle in the yard this coming season. One is to do something about my non-composting compost bin. I add mostly kitchen scraps to it, but not much is happening, probably because the contents of the bin don't get much moisture. So after I dig everything out, turn it, add some other crap, etc., I will drill some holes in the lid to let in the rain. After all, compost is black gold and free fertilizer.
