Bob Bailey from Wild Birds Unlimited spoke to us today about food, feeders, shelter, and water for the birds in our back yard.

We learned about the various types of seed and which ones are preferred by which species. If you would like to attract cardinals to your yard, you need to have a feeder with a big enough post on which they can perch. Some species of birds like peanuts, whole or pieces, but squirrels like those also, so beware. Saffron seeds are good for lots of varieties of birds, plus the crackles don’t like them, so those big black birds will go elsewhere.

He talked for a little while about nesting habits and warned us about getting birdbaths that may be decorative, but are much too deep. Birds will not come.

All in all, I think I can say for the group, that Bob was very knowledgeable and we all enjoyed his presentation very much. We wished he could have stayed longer. So instead, I suggest we all visit his store, Wild Birds Unlimited, between Pannera and Cold Stone Creamery off of Perryville.

Eve Kirk from the Cherry Valley Library came to our group with a request. They are writing a grant for the extension of services to under-served children of their district. She was asking for a letter of support and $400 to show our commitment to this grant. The grant was proposing to purchase bilingual books in the easy reader category, to purchase books with corresponding CD’s for the children having difficulty reading, to begin a boy’s and father’s reading program, and to offer more library opportunities to young children and families in the 61109 zip code. A vote of the members present was affirmative. A letter of support will be written on our letterhead and a gift of $400 will be given.