Bird Feeder Makeover

Being the perfectionist that he is, Michael thought it was time to give his tree invention/bird feeder a makeover. And by “makeover” I don’t mean switching around a few branches…

Michael piled up his 4-wheeler with all kinds of tools and accessories including drills, saws, bolts, and clamps. You name it, he had it pulled out of his workshop!

What is my little Renaissance Man up to now?!

With a big smile on his face, Michael and his packed 4-wheeler headed out back and said "I have a plan!" Of course he does! "Oh, and do we have any grape jelly?" he added. I said we did and set it out for him (as I just shook my head for the millionth time!)

Michael making some scenery changes to his tree invention/bird feeder.

Some time had passed and later I found Michael digging around in my precisely organized walk-in pantry. Gasp! You can imagine my dismay! This would be like me digging around his precisely organized workshop in the garage! We just don't do that!

“He must be really hungry?!” I thought to myself.

But, he wasn’t searching for a hidden bag of his favorite cookies…he was looking for a little container to hold that grape jelly.

"So what is this grape jelly for?!" I asked. "It's part of my plan!" he answered with excitement.

The 'lil stinker researched that grape jelly attracts a certain type of bird. A bird he has been wanting to photograph all summer...

Low and behold, he found the perfect little container!

Unfortunately, it was an unopened glass jar of diced pimentos. Now, I have no idea why I bought those pimentos...or when I bought them...but I'm sure I will need them for an amazing recipe some day soon! 

But, yeah….Michael ripped right through the plastic "safety seal" and poured those pimentos down the kitchen sink drain! Nooooo! 

So, Michael has his grape jelly and his perfect little glass jar...now what?

He found this cool piece of driftwood, carved out a pocket for the little glass jar, and filled it with the grape jelly. This piece of driftwood will sit on top of his bird feeder platform. "Uh-huh...this better be good," I thought.



The glass jar of grape jelly tucked inside a piece of driftwood.

So Michael's "plan" was all coming together. This plan included: 1) adding some more interchangeable branches, 2) planting a whole new tree next to the original “tree” to create some cool shadows and dapple effects, and 3) serving grape jelly to entice his sought-after bird.

Michael, proud of his new and improved bird feeder, is checking it out from his office…

Michael is happy with his bird feeder!

Okay, you're gonna have to wait until Friday to see the beauty that the grape jelly lured in!

To read about the bird feeder/tree invention, click here!
 

Mikey…The Tree Inventor

As I’ve mentioned before, we live on 8-1/2 acres of wooded land. We have thousands of trees right in our own back yard. So, as you can imagine, we have lots of feathered friends…giving a nature photographer many fantastic photo opps!

However, even with all these trees that God meticulously placed on our land…Michael needed just one more tree. Being the resourceful renaissance man that he is, Michael took matters into his own hands…and built himself a tree! (I bet God got a good chuckle out of that one!)

Mikey's tree invention for taking picture-perfect close-ups of birds!

You might be scratching your head, saying “Why in the world does he need another tree?!”

Well, this isn’t just any old tree. This “tree” is a specifically-designed bird feeder created to lure the birds into precise position for the perfect photo. He hand-picked each branch and attached them to the tree trunk. The top platform holds the bird seed and is edged with bark. The old logs placed on top give the birds a pretty place to perch and he can change the logs out to create different scenes. Michael spent a lot of time designing the plan, finding photogenic pieces of wood, and building the “tree.”

Michael built this tree right outside his office window. He propped the tri-pod and camera up on his desk and connected it to a small viewing screen. This way his movement in front of the window won’t scare the birds away. When he sees a bird nibbling on the seed or perching on a branch, he just snaps away!

Mikey's set up with the camera/tri-pod and small screen to see what's in view! 

Amazingly, when zoomed in on the branches and logs, this Mikey-made tree looks completely natural!

Check back tomorrow to see some of his new bird shots on the new tree!