The Rural Voice, 2002-11, Page 8Harmony Plus
The Perfect Match...
For the cows, for the
milker, and for you!
The new Harmony Plus cluster
makes milking safer, easier and
more profitable than ever before.
Its unique design matches the
cow's udder perfectly, reducing
slips, fall -offs and the risk
of mastitis and other udder
diseases.
The Harmony Plus has an
ergonomic shape that makes it
easier to grip and carry and
more enjoyable to use. Its low
weight minimizes the risk of
work-related injuries.
Nevertheless, the Harmony Plus
is large enough to allow
maximum milk -flow, and
sufficiently durable to withstand
the harsh parlour environment.
For more details on how to
improve milking performance
with our new Harmony Plus
cluster, contact your DeLaval
dealer... The perfect match!
k DeLaval
DAIRY
SUPPLY LTD.
(#308 Bruce Cty. Rd. 16)
Mildmay
519-367-5595
4 THE RURAL VOICE
Carol Riemer
The birdhouse blues
Carol Rimer
is a freelance
writer r+•ho
lives with her
husband and
twO
children near
Grand
Valley.
Ontario.
Years ago. if someone had tried to
tell me that birds would play an
important part in my life. I would
have laughed. I would have thought
they were totally out of their tree.
Suffice to say, stranger things
have happened. Now. with winter
approaching. I watch my husband lug
in another 50 -pound bag of sunflower
seeds. and wonder if it will be
enough. Whatever spare time I have
is spent searching for a new.
improved feeder to replace the old
one that finally fell victim to the
weather. and Roger Tory Peterson's
A Field Guide to the Birds is
becoming nothing short of required
reading.
1 really shouldn't complain. When
we first arrived here there were no
birds. No chipmunks. no toads and no
butterflies. Just the odd field mouse.
a mob of cluster flies, and a
particularly venomous gang of
spiders that walked through the old
school house with impunity. The
closest thing we had to a friendly
flying critter was a small, single
engine plane. Every day• around five
o'clock. it would approach. cough
and splutter, and then send
us diving for cover, as the pilot
dipped down for a better look. A
mysterious lone bat routinely
appeared every night around dusk to
offer some hope• but the crows were
an ornery lot, not well suited to long
term, meaningful relationships.
We had to do something. Frankly,
the idea of living in the country, on
the only property for miles around
that was devoid of birds, seemed just
a little unfair. Sadly, the birdhouse
that my husband hastily cobbled up
for the tree swallows was vacated by
mid summer, and once again, we
found ourselves abandoned. A feeder
appeared to be the best answer.
Something that would attract birds
throughout the year. First. we had to
decide on which birds we wanted to
attract. Chickadees were small and
friendly. The jays had Tots of colour
and flamboyance. Perhaps, a
woodpecker. or a bright red cardinal,
might make an interesting addition.
We considered the build -it -yourself
route, (there were plenty of old
boards in the woodshed) but due to
lack of time and inexperience, we
opted for a more conventional store-
bought model.
Platform feeders, with their open
concept. were a little too exposed to
the weather for our location. The
hanging tube variety, while attractive
to smaller birds. would surely
succumb to our wicked winter wind.
A window feeder might have been
good, but our windows are difficult to
reach.
Eventually, we decided on a
covered feeder, constructed of cedar,
with a little ledge that allows the
birds to land and pick up their seed.
We set it on a six-foot pole, sheltered
by mature trees and within easy view
of the kitchen window. Initially,
some birds appeared to be finicky
eaters. while others dived in with
unrestrained enthusiasm. After trying
several different mixtures, we soon
settled on sunflower seeds as the
most popular item on the menu. A
suet ball placed nearby proved to be a
welcome treat for the woodpecker.
These days, the chickadees are
confident enough to land on my arm,
striking up a loud chorus of
complaints, if I'm late with their
breakfast. The jays usually arrive
with great fanfare, throwing
everything into a temporary
state of confusion, while a lonely
woodpecker diligently scrounges for
seed that has fallen to the ground. A
colourful cast of characters, these
birds have brought life to a place
where once there was none. And
somehow on those late fall days when
the sky turns a dark shade of gray,
and the icy wind whips across the
empty fields, they seem the perfect
antidote for a lingering case of the
birdhouse blues.0