Went out to the Wild Bird Company store today–James spotted it a week or so ago in the shopping center where we buy groceries, and since I was out of sunflower seeds for my feathered masters, I headed out that way to check it out.

The array of bird feeders offered was incredibly vast (albeit a bit spendy.) My birthday being in ten days, I may splurge and get one. Or two. I have so much yard now that I could host a whole army of feeders. They also had video birdfeeder surveillance, which I confess, I lingered over–we have Southern flying squirrels here, and I would dearly love to see one, even on tape.

I did pick up “Hot Meats” a pepper-treated sunflower mix, which is expensive, but since the squirrels don’t eat it, lasts a lot longer in the feeder.

I was passing the suet rack when a phrase leapt out at me (as, I assume, it would leap out at anyone) CONTAINS DEHYDRATED INSECTS. I halted in my tracks. Dehydrated insects! Sure, the Beetlemania seed mix with the freeze-dried beetle larvae was something, but this! Contains dehydrated insects! Good lord! Where do I sign?

It was with regret that I passed the tubs of “Nuts ‘n Bugs!” bluebird feed–peanut suet blobs and mealworms, you tempt me sorely. Perhaps what I come back. Of course, I haven’t seen any bluebirds around here, despite the presence of a bluebird house nailed to the shed. The place in Cary, whatever it’s many faults, was a bluebird zone. This, not so much. We’re also shorter on warblers, or perhaps more likely, the warblers being small, I have a harder time spotting them, with the yard so far away.

On the other hand, while I typed this, a cottontail rabbit scampered by in front of the window, to sit grooming next to my baby butterfly bush. I have no regrets.

Nuts ‘n Bugs!