New Stuff in the aviary

[CandoAviary]

I added some Pinetrees...$10 each after Christmas sell for the two 6" tall ones
I unraveled a grapevine wreath and attached one end to a feeder, then up to a ceiling hook and then over to the other side of the room. The birds love the bouncy perch and it is natural looking.
The new swing is also an unraveled grapevine wreath.... super safe and nothing for the birds to get there claws/feet hung on
I did make sure it was natural and not varnished or stained.
It acts like a bungie cord...the birds love it though noone would get on it while I was taking pictures.... as soon as I put the camera up...they resumed playtime

[L in Ontario]

That looks like fun!!

[AndreasLon]

Looks great! Do they use the Xmas trees?

[lovemyfinch]

What an inventive idea Candace.

I finally gave mine their mini Christmas tree and they are loving it.

[Ursula]

That looks great! I love the grapevine idea!!

[Sally]

That looks great! I love the grapevine idea!!

I do too, and Hobby Lobby regularly puts their grapevine wreaths on 50% off--plus it is so natural looking.

[Ursula]

I just was at Hobbylobby the other day and got more fake ivy. (Right now they have a 50% discount on all greenery!)

I actually had one of these wreaths in my hand and considered to hang it somewhere in the aviary (and decided against it), but it never occurred to me to unravel it!

Candace, did you soak it first to make it softer so it didn't break when you unraveled it, or what did you do?

[CandoAviary]

I am loving the unraveled grapevines.... now I am incorporating them into cage perches
I had many (20) vines from my craft days. They were old. I spooled them on a pole outside to get a weathered look. They were rained on, sunned, for months. They were begining to unravel on their own.
I am also fortunate that one of the houses we rent out up in the country has a grape orchard. Scupanine and Muscadine grapes.
I gather natural grown vines occaisionally

Most of the ones at Hobby Lobby, Michael's and other craft stores have them but they are stained and varnished. So I would definately soak them with several changes of water until they look natural again (not shiny)... or hang them from a tree outside for awhile

[Ursula]

Thanks, Candace!

We have muskadine vines in our backyard, I wonder if I could dry some of them and hang them in...

But I think I'll try the ones from Hobbylobby (if they don't look as if they had too much stain on them) and soak them real good. I soak the fake plants too before I put them in. I know that hey coat the greenery with some spray to prevent them from getting dusty too easily, I always try get rid of that first. You can even smell it when you buy them. (Yuck!)

[CandoAviary]

If you have the vines in your back yard, you can use them as long as there are no pesticides.

I have found soaking these wreaths...or weathering outdoors has made them safe. I have used wreaths before when I bred canaries and nver had any problems. Have fun unraveling

[Ursula]

NO pesticides in MY backyard, Candace! (And none on our lawn. That's why we have the crummiest looking lawn in the neighborhood, but the most wild birds... )

I think I will buy some of these wreaths. We want to replace all the perches and tree branches this weekend, that will be a good time to put some in. (I wanted to do that last weekend but my husband twisted his back and I didn't want to send him out in the woods with a sore back in freezing temperature... I hope it's not raining too much this weekend...)