Lifestyle

On Tuesday, May 10, 2022, 10:00 a.m., the Capitol Arts and Grounds Commission is scheduled to meet at Arkansas State Capitol, in Room 171, 500 Woodlane Street, Little Rock. The meeting will be in person with a Zoom option available.

Attention! Come One Come All! Let’s everyone come out and support our Art students. They have worked hard this year and have some things to show off.

Mountain Home Moose Lodge #1953 will hold its monthly all-u-can-eat fried fish and shrimp dinner this coming Friday, May 6 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Guests may order fried fish, fried shrimp or a combination plate which also includes hushpuppies, French fries, coleslaw, vegetable, roll, dessert and a beverage.

This week we discuss cautions on summer feeding. While a greater variety of foods will attract more birds, backyard birders should take care not to offer less nutritious options during the summer when baby birds need the best food for healthy growth. Kitchen scraps, for example, are not suitable to feed birds during the summer. While small quantities of bread, cooked rice, and other scraps won’t harm adult birds when offered as very rare treats, these foods offer no nutrition for nestlings and other young birds. Avoid offering this “bird junk food” during the months when young birds need a healthy diet to grow into strong, mature adults.

Should we continue to feed birds through the summer like we do during the winter? A persistent bird feeding myth is that feeding birds during the summer will make the birds dependent on handouts or lazy when seeking natural food sources. This is simply untrue studies have shown that wild birds typically receive no more than 25 percent of their daily food from feeders, and for many backyard species the total is even lower. Summer can be a rewarding season to have a suitable bird buffet in your backyard, and these summer bird feeding tips can help you attract a varied flock of feathered friends. In fact, summer is an ideal time to feed birds because of the following: long days give backyard birders more time to observe feeders and see many different hungry visitors. Birds are in their breeding plumage during the summer months, making identification easier and more enjoyable with bright colors and clear markings. Birds are raising their families, giving backyard birders the opportunity to watch nestlings mature as they learn to visit bird feeders.