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Welcome to our home, Mr. Flicker.
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We're so glad you could make it.
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Come on in and take a seat.
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Enjoy your meal!
With winter in full swing here in North America and a blanket of snow on the ground, I'd like to remind everyone to do what they can to provide food and water for feathered friends. Ideally they should be offered a variety of foods at any of the “big four” feeding stations: ground, table or window shelf, free-hanging feeders, and feeders fixed on tree trunks or posts.
Now, how about a recipe for a yummy and easy homemade treat for the birdies?
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POPCORN BALLS FOR BIRDIES
Ingredients:
2 quarts popped corn
¾ cup chopped nuts, any kind
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
¼ cup shortening or butter
Grease a large shallow pan and spread with the popcorn and nuts. Combine sugar, syrup and shortening (or butter) in saucepan and heat, stirring, until boiling. Set to med-low and cook without stirring until 250 degrees. (Or test by dribbling a few drops boiling candy into cup of cold water. Pinch the sample with your fingers and if firm then its reached the right stage.)
Remove from heat and add baking soda; pour at once over the popcorn and nuts. Toss rapidly with wide spatula until pieces are mostly coated. Let cool to touch and form into small (golf ball sized) balls. When balls have cooled completely, tie and hang from trees with string using strong thread and large needle.
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The photos above show an example of only one of the many species of wild birds that visit my feeders here in the Shenandoah Valley.
And they obviously provide an enormous amount of inspiration for my paintings and pottery! From creamer pitchers, platters, mugs and bowls to tiny ceramic clay goodies like pendants, needle minders and buttons.
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| Painted Pottery and Miniature Bird Ornaments |
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| Ceramic Garden Signs |
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| Ceramic Porcelain Clay Bluebird Necklace |
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| Donkey Sculpture with Tiny Bluebird |
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| Blue Bird Needle Minder |
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| Hand Built Pottery Bowl |
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| Tiny Blue Bird Ceramic Clay Buttons |
Thank you my friends for stopping in today. I hope you'll remember to feed the birdies, too!
6 comments:
Oh my goodness, I was just thinking about you this morning, wondering how you were doing up there.
It looks like you're in winter mode and that you've been busy creating. It's all lovely.
Have a nice weekend ~ FlowerLady
I too love flickers! Such beautiful, interesting birds! What a delightful post. There are wonderful things happening outdoors even in the winter; we are having cold temperatures but plenty of sunshine here in North Carolina. All the critters are thriving. I am looking forward to getting several baby chicks (and a new chicken house!) in a few weeks. My older chickens are doing beautifully as are the donkeys. Wonderful seeing you here on the blogosphere, Cynthia. Have a most blessed and abundant day.
I have missed your posts and that bird ball sounds good enough for me to eat. HA! HA! I have to say that bird necklace is so pretty. Your work is just beautiful.
Thank you ladies, so very much for your kind comments! Its good to be back in the blogosphere after a whirlwind year of maintaining Cynthia Crane's Pottery! I'll be posting more often now in the hope of attracting a bit more media attention in order to grow beyond my Etsy shop. I'm on Instagram (@cynthiacranespottery) very regularly now, hence the recent inattention to my blog.
Fantastic photographs and beautiful ceramics Cynthia,
I adore having the birds visit my garden and spend a fortune each month on various food for them. I have three feeding stations positioned around my house. I have so many now... obviously it must have been tweeted that there's a fine restaurant opened up.
I've never made feed for them so am interested to give your recipe a try. Thanks for sharing.
Oh I meant to ask what is Mr Flicker? I've never seen one like him in my garden.
Have a cozy creative week ahead ;D
I love flicker birds and had the privilege of seeing my first one a few years ago. I was so amazed by the spots.
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