West Ashley gardener turns decades-old family recipe into a backyard birding favorite
Is it appropriate to host a baby shower for bluebirds?
I was so excited when a mama bluebird settled in my new birdhouse that I did everything possible to make her welcome.
I hung a small dish from a Crepe Myrtle branch and ordered a bag of mealworms. Every morning, I put a handful of the dried mealworms in the dish and whistle the tune from the old Ricola cough drop commercial to alert her. Sure enough, in a few minutes, she reports for duty, taking them back to the nest.
I worried about her hitting my front picture window, so I applied leaf and branch decals for safety.
I was curious about the babies’ progress, and sent for an endoscopy camera extension for my cell phone, so I could take a sneak peek without disturbing them.
Talk about nesting instincts. Me, not the birds.
I downloaded the Merlin app so my phone could listen in and report on the variety of birds in my neighborhood. And yes, I picked up a hummingbird feeder at Consign Charleston and am mixing my own sugar nectar.
I’ve always enjoyed birds and photographing them in the rookery in the Audubon Swamp at Magnolia Gardens, but this backyard obsession is new.
Somehow, my West Ashley wanderings always lead me to the right people.
I ran into Tracey Erwin, aka “Lovey” as she is known to her grandchildren, at the Master Gardener plant sale at Citadel Mall. She had a table set up with her special recipe of bird treats and generously let me pick her brain. Erwin shared that birding attracts people of all ages, and the new feeders with digital cameras have brought renewed enthusiasm to the hobby.
Her quick tips included a nearby water source, and she added that squirrels can jump 10’ in any direction, making a squirrel baffle a worthwhile investment.
Erwin had been making and sharing her family recipe with friends and family for 32 years. Her youngest flew the nest last year, and she made it official, mixing, packaging, and selling Lovey’s Bird Bites.
“It’s been a joy to hear how people love them, and the recipe has been perfected to be a true, year-round, all-weather suet packed with natural proteins,” said Erwin It keeps the birds coming back and brings new guests to your backyard feeders.”
“The recipe was created by my chef and me when we owned a restaurant in the Pawleys Island Hammock Shops,” said Erwin. “There was a huge hedge behind the restaurant, and I kept my two toddlers at the time busy feeding the birds while we were working. We use local farmers’ market fruits and nuts, which support small businesses. Last year we became a Certified S.C. Product, and have sold to over 26 states!”
Erwin’s Lovey’s Bird Bites sell primarily online. They are currently stocked at Sweetgrass Mercantile in Mt. Pleasant, where they sell out almost every week. She would love to find a West Ashley location (hint, hint).
Meanwhile, if you are looking for me, I’ll be in my recliner, knitting wee hats and booties. Blue, of course.
Stay healthy, my friends, and wave at me while I wander. Send ideas to: westashleywanderer@gmail.com.
