A few days back whilst toiling away in my workshop I spotted two kereru or wood pigeons land in a gleditsia tree about 35 metres down the back lawn. At the time I was busy making up tui feeder orders so decided to admire them from a distance and continue with my work.

This was never going to last because all I could think about was how great they would look on video. Usually I don’t need much of an excuse to take a break and this was one of those occasions. Just one of the many advantages of working from home.

Pigeons often visit this time of the year to eat berries from the various trees that we planted about 13 years back for this very reason.

As I was filming I thought back on the recent much publicised case of Norwegian tourists shooting Kereru whilst on a hunting trip to New Zealand. I just couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to kill such a magnificent bird. Such a pity that they were not apprehended and prosecuted as the penalties for killing birds like these can be as much as $100,000. Regardless of who you are there is absolutely no justifiable reason for hunting them.

It would be real tragedy if these beautiful birds were wiped out due to poaching as they already have many other predators to deal with. Often I can get within just a few metres of them therefore it certainly wouldn’t be difficult to hunt them.

If we all play our part we all can enjoy the beauty of the Kereru for many years to come. We are very lucky indeed to have these beautiful birds visiting our garden as they are truly magnificent.

At some stage when time permits I hope to erect a Keruru feeding station somewhere in the garden to attract more of them. I’ve not heard of anyone being successful in doing this but its worth a try. Any help or advice concerning this would be very welcome.

During these cold winter months there’s not a lot one can do in the veggie garden so I have a little more time to devote to new products and ideas.

This upside down suet feeder is the latest and it proved to be a big hit within ten minutes of me hanging in this tree adjacent to our lounge. Various birds have visited and fed from it successfully, including large numbers of sparrows unfortunately. Larger birds such as mynas and starlings have struggled to keep a footing long enough to get any sort of satisfaction.

The most adept at using this suet feeder are these silver-eyes that patiently wait every morning for me to arrive with slices of bread and tangelos.

Having the new HD video camera makes capturing wonderful scenes like this so much easier and enjoyable.

I certainly won’t win any accolades for this production but these cute little guys certainly know how to put on an Oscar winning performance.

If you wish to purchase one of these USD (up side down) suet feeders check back within the next few days as they will be available via our Garden Shop.

Special thanks are in order to my very talented and indispensable chief film editor Fraser, “terrific job son”.

I hope you enjoy watching this video as much as I’ve enjoyed making it.

I’ve stop counting the number of times I’ve refilled the 3 feeders we have about the place but the thought has often occurred to me that there must be an easier way. Well there is and it means that you can throw the blu tack and tape away.

I’ve always been a strong believer in the old “KISS” principle (keep it simple stupid) and this was so so obvious. It was about a month back I decided to trial a tui feeder with the bottle inserted upside down to see how well it would perform. Not surprisingly it worked just fine and the hassles and mess associated with those weekly refills were gone.

Yes, so simple … why didn’t I do this from day one?

Any how that doesn’t matter now, the main thing is that it works and the time has arrived for “you” to “turn the bottle up side down”.

Don’t worry … it’s only a five minute job and this is what you or your handy person needs to do:

• Firstly and obviously you need to find another 1.5 litre bottle eg Coke, Sprite, L&P or similar.
• With sharp scissors or a stanley knife “carefully” cut off the cap locking ring as shown in the photo above.
• Drill 4 x 2.5 mm holes at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock directly beneath the first upper ridge as shown above.
• That’s it, all done  … now refill the bottle in the usual way and insert “up side down” into the holder.

Making this change will make the task of refilling your tui feeder a whole lot quicker and easier and is certainly worth doing. If your have any concerns, questions or you just need help feel free to contact me as I’m always happy to assist.

In the meantime …  happy tui watching.

None more so than the cute and friendly silvereyes.

These suet feeders have been designed to take two slices of bread or a suet block and are now available through the Garden Shop. I’ve already sold a number of these and expect to sell many more. They are available in Forrest Green, Redwood or unstained for those that prefer the natural look.

For extra strength they are glued and screwed together. When the feeder needs a clean the galvanised mesh can easily be removed.

Several weeks ago I placed three in nearby trees and have enjoyed watching the antics of various birds seeking a snack. To date those that have used the feeders are silver-eyes, sparrows and mynas of course, starlings but with difficulty and my mates the tui. Even noticed a very shy grey warbler stop by to check it out the territory.

I’m sure this number will grow.

Over the last few days to add further food to the feeder so to speak I’ve been attaching halves of grapefruit, mandarins, tangelos and apples. Two screws through the roof section keeps the fruit in place. This additional feature has worked really well and the birds just love it.

Will post of a video of this in the next few weeks as well as my first attempts to make suet blocks.

This is the current range of suet feeders.

]]> http://www.justaddworms.com/2010/06/23/how-suet-feeders-have-trebled-the-number-of-birds-visiting-our-garden/feed/ 1 http://www.justaddworms.com/2010/06/16/why-next-spring-is-too-late-to-put-up-that-bird-house/ http://www.justaddworms.com/2010/06/16/why-next-spring-is-too-late-to-put-up-that-bird-house/#comments Tue, 15 Jun 2010 21:20:41 +0000 Rodney http://www.justaddworms.com/?p=8264

Often when people buy bird houses they ask as to when they should put them up. To this my standard reply is, as soon as you can. No point in storing it your garage even if unlike myself you do have the space.

Seriously though the best time to put up nesting boxes has to be in autumn or winter as this gives our feathered friends more time to discover them. If you leave it till spring you may strike it lucky and have a pair or birds moving straight in but it’s probably a few months or perhaps even a year before this happens.

Birds are also more likely to occupy the bird house if it no longer has that “new just out of the box look” and has weathered a little. As time passes it will blend into the natural surroundings and take on a “yes, I’m meant to be here appearance”.

Some other factors you may wish to take into consideration when positioning your bird houses are:

• Mount them high up and well away from potential predators. Screwing it on to that handy fence post may be a simple option but why make it easy for those cats, rats, mice, ferrits, stoats and weasels to name a few.
• Face the entrance hole away from the prevailing winter winds and the heat of the summer sun.
• Place in a quiet location away from noise and other activity including that of your family, pets, and other bird life.
• Compared to tree trunks and limbs bird houses mounted on metal poles are less venerable to predators.
• Birds always appreciate having a supply of food and water. Bird baths always work a treat. Positions nesting boxes well away from these areas as things can become a little too competitive.
• Mount bird houses so that they can be easily viewed and enjoyed from indoor vantage points, that’s the fun part of this whole exercise.
• If after a year or so the birds are not moving in to the digs you’ve provided try moving it to a different location. One of the things I’ve learnt from many years of observing birds in the wild is that they cant be rushed, patience is required.

If you’re wanting to purchase some top quality bird houses for your back yard the full range can be viewed at our Garden Shop.

In the meantime happy bird watching.

I’ve been thinking about writing this post for some time now as I’m sure that there are some shabby looking feeder bottles and broken trays out there. Just lately I’ve replaced these on the three feeders in our garden so that they will perform well for the tui season which is now in full swing.

The main problems that arise are dirty bottles that are difficult to clean and trays that have been broken through use or that have succumbed to the elements.

For most of you that have purchased a tui feeder during the last year or so replacing these readily available items will be a walk in the park but there may be some folk who due to age or lack of time would prefer replacement parts to “just arrive in the post”. At this time I’m not sure of the cost but imagine it won’t be much.

If you need either a new bottle or tray send me an email or give me a call and I’ll find out from the rural post lady.

If you have any photos or stories about tui or other birds using your feeder I’d love to hear from you. One change I’ve noticed this year is that sparrows have discovered the feeders and sneak a quick drink whenever tui are not about.

I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that winter is not my favourite season as it hampers me in what I enjoy doing most, growing prize vegetables and working on my many outdoor projects. In my younger days it was a magical time of year as I would load up my skis and head off to the slopes.

Sadly like my knees those days are long gone.

Enjoyed it while it lasted, never mind, it’s not all bad.

One aspect of winter that I now look forward to is what I term “the return of the tui”. Not that they ever went away it’s just that they stopped visiting the feeders we have about the place. This is quite normal during spring and summer as there is plenty of naturally occurring food which the tui prefer to what appears on my bland menu.

However as winter approaches the tui will have less to pick and choose from therefore the feeders will once again receive regular visits. This is already happening.

I recall that last year the tuis began to use the feeders towards the end of May as it coincided with my birthday but this year it has been much earlier. It was early in April that I first noticed them landing on the feeders looking for food so I filled one to monitor the number of visits.

The summer and autumn drought that Auckland and the rest of the country has experienced has resulted in a shortage of food for many birds including the tui.

At the moment only one of the three feeders we have is in use but based on the numbers of tuis about the time has arrived for me to fill the others. Cleaning and refilling three feeders every week takes about 30 minutes and a fair amount of sugar but its time well spent as we enjoy the comings and goings of our special feathered friends.

If you have purchased a tui feeder from us during the last year I would love to hear how it’s working out for you or perhaps you have a story to share about tui at your place.

Recently I have created a separate page which is solely devoted to the tui, go to menu above or click here to check it out.

]]> http://www.justaddworms.com/2010/05/14/celebrating-the-return-of-the-tui/feed/ 1 http://www.justaddworms.com/2010/05/04/how-to-grow-pumpkins-aplenty/ http://www.justaddworms.com/2010/05/04/how-to-grow-pumpkins-aplenty/#comments Tue, 04 May 2010 08:36:49 +0000 Rodney http://www.justaddworms.com/?p=7924

On my list of favourite things to grow pumpkins are well up there and come in a very close second to my all time favourite, yes you guessed right, tomatoes.

This past season I grew four different varieties:

Whangaparaoa Crown (Weighed in average 3.6 kg)

I’ve been growing this grey skinned variety off and on for over 30 years because it’s a reliable producer, seven to nine pumpkins off each vine this year. As a dry pumpkin it stores well and makes for a tasty soup and is equally good when roasted. These two are about half way to maturity and will double in size.

Marina Di Chioggia (Weighed in 6.4 kg)

This Italian heirloom originally from Chioggia in the province of Venice, Italy came highly recommended so it will be interesting to see how it tastes. Upon checking this last week I discovered dry rot developing in the stem so I decided to bring it in.

It was planted in an area where the soil hadn’t been prepared as well as it could have been and as a result I’ve only ended up with a few of these. The one pictured above is the biggest and best of the crop. I intend to save the seeds and plant in a better spot next season.

As it grew the changing colours have been quite amazing and it has grown from a handsome adolescent into this ugly old ogre shown below.

Guess you can’t judge a pumpkin by it’s skin and based on what I’ve read about this variety it should be well worth the effort. Probably need an axe to open it up when the time comes to savour this gastronomical wonder.

Queensland Blue (Weighed in 4.7 kg)

Normally I wouldn’t let an Aussie near my garden but I guess there comes a time to let bygones be bygones. Also I feel the need to see if Australia can produce anything worthwhile besides Midnight Oil, Victorian Bitter and Fosters.

To be sportsman like I will hold off passing judgment until this one hits my taste buds.

Strange as it may seem I suspect this Queensland heirloom could prove to be “fair dinkum”.

Now lastly I should mention the most prolific producer of this cucurbita foursome.

Waltham Butternut (Weighed in average 2.3 kg)

Along with one Whangaparaoa Crown these were planted in the the corner of my garden as there was no where else for them to go. By doing this I broke one of my own rules as I never plant pumkins in my main growing area as the tend to take over.

The crown pumpkin was true to form and set about smothering everything in sight but the butternut only took up a minimal amount of space but yet produced a bumper crop. This variety therefore would be a good choice if you only have a small garden.

For me the success in growing pumpkins is:

• Plenty of space where they can grow undisturbed.
• Good soil with plenty of organic material such as compost and aged animal manure.
• All day sun.
• Ongoing feeding.
• Regular watering if things become too dry as happened this season just past.
• Having plenty of bees included bumble bees to handle that all important task of pollinating all those flowers. A little hand pollination also helps.

Now that I have a beehive situated within a stones throw of where the pumpkins grow it will be interesting to gauge next years pollination results against the current ones.

If you have the space I’d suggest growing pumpkins as they are easy to grow and don’t require a lot of effort.

]]> http://www.justaddworms.com/2010/05/04/how-to-grow-pumpkins-aplenty/feed/ 7 http://www.justaddworms.com/2010/04/24/lest-we-forget/ http://www.justaddworms.com/2010/04/24/lest-we-forget/#comments Sat, 24 Apr 2010 08:56:44 +0000 Rodney http://www.justaddworms.com/?p=7802 “They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them.”

My Dad -21st New Zealand infantry battalion. 1939-1945 Western desert Egypt.

Below: Alexander Beaton, 18th New Zealand infantry battalion. My great uncle missing in action at the battle of El Alamein Western desert Egypt 15th July 1942. Also the medal his mother, my great grandmother received. Both my father and uncle were fighting german troops led by the field marshal Erwin Rommel, also known as the desert fox.

New Zealand Memorial Cross. Instituted 12 September 1947 by King George VI.

This medal was awarded to the next-of-kin of NZ service personnel killed on active service (since 1995, this includes deaths during peace-keeping operations). Award is made to the nearest female relative if there is both a mother and a wife 2 crosses are awarded.

Below: Robert Dunn my grandfather after returning from the Boer war 1899-1902. Seventh contingent No 23 company Nelson section & No 24 company Canterbury section made up of 28 officers and 572 men.

Below: 25th April 2009 6.00am dawn service commemorating the 93rd anniversary of Anzac day. Cenotaph at Auckland War Memorial Museum.

Below: dawn service 25th April 2010. Set off at 4.30 am with our youngest son Fraser.

]]> http://www.justaddworms.com/2010/04/24/lest-we-forget/feed/ 1 http://www.justaddworms.com/2010/04/21/learn-about-bees-with-an-observation-bee-hive/ http://www.justaddworms.com/2010/04/21/learn-about-bees-with-an-observation-bee-hive/#comments Tue, 20 Apr 2010 23:22:02 +0000 Rodney http://www.justaddworms.com/?p=7634

Since purchasing my first bee hive in January, my fascination for bees continues to grow so to learn more about these amazing creatures, I’ve made this observation hive. Now I will be able to watch my Italian friends up close as they go about their many and varied tasks.

After undertaking considerable research on the web and consulting with fellow members of the Auckland Bee Keepers Club and others, I’ve come up with my first trial hive. I would also like to thank Trevor and Peter at Ceracell for all their help and advice.

When the club has its next fortnightly meeting, I will take the hive along so those members more experienced than I can pass judgment. At this stage the only aspect that I’m unsure about is how well the feeder that’s positioned to the right will function. Some bee keepers are saying that I may need to feed the bees through the top of the hive rather than the side, time and trial will tell.

This observation hive has been designed to be used by schools, technology institutes, universities, agricultural shows, rural field days or by down to earth folk like myself who enjoy promoting bees and bee keeping.

For those selling honey or bee products at country markets and the like I’m sure it will work “just like bees to honey”.

Recently we used an observation hive at the Auckland Bee Keepers Club stand at the Royal Easter Show and it certainly attracted those curious about bees and helped us with our honey sales.

Features of the observation hive include:

• Lower compartment to house brood frame.
• Upper compartment to house frame from honey box/super.
• Queen bee excluder separates the two frames and prevents the queen from moving to the top.
• Hinged front door allows for easy installation and removal of frames and bees.
• 4mm glass panels front and rear for easy viewing.
• Remove 4 screws and glass can be removed for cleaning.
• Sliding covers on both sides keeps the bees in the dark when not being observed. These also provide protection during transportation.
• Ventilation ports at each end help to provide adequate aeration and moisture levels.
• Easy access built in feeder.
• Top cover with easy to use reach over catches.
• Wide base ensures maximum stability.

Like all new products I intend to trial the observation bee hive to ensure that it works correctly. When I’m satisfied with the results they will be for sale via JustAddWorms “Garden Shop” as well as Trade Me and Sella.

Hopefully that won’t be too far off. In the meantime, expressions of interest are most welcome.