One of the questions I sometimes receive is “Why don’t my birds like my seed?” There can be several possible answers to this question. The first, and most likely possibility, is that the seed isn’t on the list of seeds that wild birds tend to prefer. Many seed companies will add inexpensive “filler” seeds to the bag that are much cheaper for them to buy and package. While this keeps immediate costs (and prices) down for consumers, most birds will toss the unwanted seed aside while looking for the good stuff. Thus, much of the “cheaper” seed ends up rotting on the ground or gets eaten by squirrels, mice, or other critters looking for an easy meal. As a buyer of wild bird food, it is best
The store is closed on Mondays. That may change in the future, but for now, it means I get to get outside and do a little birding around town on my day off. One of my favorite places to go birding in NWA is at the Charlie Craig State Fish Hatchery in Centerton. This place is managed by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission to raise fry for stocking ponds, but they also do a nice job of managing it for wildlife, especially birds. As a consequence, it is one of the birdiest locations in NWA. According to eBird entries, 259 species have been see there over the years. Upon arriving at The Ponds (what I like to call the hatchery), the first thing I noticed was how quiet it was. Truth is not much
It had taken nearly three months in total to complete all of the fixtures, which was about a month longer than expected. I was probably being overly particular with the craftsmanship, but I wanted to be sure every piece was something I could be proud of. With some help from a couple of (younger and stronger) friends, we finally moved everything from my garage to the store. Once the fixtures were in place, it was time to turn our attention to products. As the boxes started pouring in I wondered what I had gotten myself into. Wood working I knew. Birds I knew. Merchandising? Not a chance. That was my wife's purview, and just like she had no idea I could build things, I had no idea she could m
Like many ideas, the concept for The Bluebird Shed was nothing more than a fleeting comment riding on the back of other ideas. I can still hear the words floating across the table, "We could just start our own store..." What an idiotic idea. What cool idea. What a wonderful idea! It's been 11 months since that conversation between Sarah (my wife and co-owner), and me, but we are finally done with the planning and creating. The Bluebird Shed is now open for business. It's been a journey to say the least (and a lot of blood, sweat, and tears), but it has been worth it. This blog post and the next one will take you on a simple journey of the making of The Bluebird Shed, from a pile of lumber in
