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From: tfisher@NPIRS.Purdue.EDU (Tom Fisher)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Bird feeding Station
Message-ID: <1991Apr16.191709.29728@NPIRS.Purdue.EDU>
Date: 16 Apr 91 19:17:09 GMT
References: <1991Apr15.225115.3695@jpl-devvax.jpl.nasa.gov>
Organization: The National Pesticide Information Retrieval System, Purdue University
Lines: 38

From article <1991Apr15.225115.3695@jpl-devvax.jpl.nasa.gov>, by hastings@jpl-devvax.jpl.nasa.gov (Sheri Hastings):
> 
>  Can anybody out there tell me the best things to include in a 
> bird feeding station and how to get the birds to notice that you
> have prepared a feast for them?

Try hanging an aluminum pie pan (the cheap disposable kind)
somewhere in the vacinity.  The sun reflecting off it will
attract attention.  

> 
> I'm new to all this but I would really like to start attracting birds to
> my yard. I have two cats -- can I feed birds safely? 

Cats and birds *DON'T* mix!  Sorry.

> Also, what is the best field guide for So. Calif (coast).  How do you use
> a field guide. Do you just keep flipping through it until you recognize 
> the bird you are trying to identify or is there some system? 

Peterson's Field Guide is probably the most popular.  And yes,
just flipping thru is about as good a system as any (I'll bet
there will be arguments about *that*).

> I posted this once before (I think) but didn't get any answers. maybe 
> this time I'll have more luck.

You're welcome. Good luck!

> PS We already have some horned owls nesting (I think) in some big
> canary pines. Can anyone tell me anything about these birds?

They love to eat small animals - maybe even cats :-)  :-( !
-- 
==============================================================================
Tom Fisher
tfisher@npirs.purdue.edu              |  "...if by chance we find each
Phone (317) 494-6616                  |  other, it is beautiful." - F. Perls