Birding on Deck Part 2: Woodpeckers, Birdhouses and Nesting Structures
Welcome to our second in a series of articles about backyard birding “on deck!” You can find the first article here You may be thinking, “I want to attract birds such as robins, wrens and hummingbirds to my yard, but I don’t want woodpeckers poking holes in my house!” Well, of course you don’t! No one wants holes in their house, but according to Scott Menough, co-owner of Wild Birds Unlimited in Lakewood and host of BirdTalk radio on KNUS and KDMT, there’s nothing to worry about. “We don’t look at woodpeckers as pest birds, although we may be concerned[...]
Creating an Adult Treehouse
Years ago, (I won’t say how many) when I was growing up as a young child in Maryland, our community was surrounded by wooded areas that came to form an important part of my elementary school years. When summer arrived and school was out, my three brothers, my friends and I seemed to live and play in those woods from morning until night. After playing our usual round of games several kids of all ages would invariably get together to create some kind of makeshift “Swiss Family Robinson” style treehouse. We would do this by wedging, notching and nailing whatever[...]
Spinach & Artichoke Stuffed Burgers
The unofficial start of summer is here, try these delicious stuffed burgers at your next backyard party! Yields: 4 Ingredients 4 oz. cream cheese, softened 1 c. shredded mozzarella 1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan 1/2 c. frozen spinach, defrosted 1/2 c. chopped artichoke hearts 1 clove garlic, minced pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional) kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 1/2 lb. ground beef 4 Hamburger buns Vegetable oil, for brushing Directions In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, mozzarella, Parmesan, spinach, artichoke hearts, garlic and red pepper flakes (if using). Season with salt and pepper and[...]
The Joys of Birding “On Deck”
Welcome to the first in our series of articles on backyard “on deck” birding! We were fortunate to speak with metro area birding expert Scott Menough, owner with his wife, Sandy, of Wild Birds Unlimited in Lakewood since 1989. Scott is the host of BirdTalk radio, which airs Saturdays from noon to 1 p.m. on 710 KNUS and 1690 KDMT, and also hosts a podcast at BirdTalkGuys.com. Perhaps you’ve never thought about attracting more birds to your yard? Well, according to Scott, conditions here are excellent for doing exactly that. “In Colorado we’re very lucky to have a variety of[...]
Time to Plant Sweet Berries and Fragrant Herbs
Berries and herbs tend to grow slowly, and because of our short growing season here, are best cultivated from starts, which are available now at garden centers, farmers markets, supermarkets and hardware stores. If you try to grow these from seed, well, it might be winter before you see anything! Keep in mind that container plants in general are considerably more exposed to the elements, (heat, cold, moisture and dryness) than plants in the ground. In Colorado it’s advisable to go with plastic pots which won’t evaporate water as quickly than the porous earthen terra cotta pots. (That being said,[...]
