Wednesday, April 26, 2017

TONIGHT


SUZY'S DINER CRUISE NIGHT then.... STAY IN WHIRLPOOL/FIREPLACE SUITE
Dates: April 05 - October 25, 2017 Time: 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. (CT) Venue: Suzy's Diner
Address: 407 S. Main St., Hebron, IN 46341 Phone: 219-996-3463
Admission: Free admission
ABOUT
Enjoy cool cars, music and a special discount at the diner. Every Wednesday, April to Oct.





Tuesday, April 25, 2017



CHOCOLATE WALK AND RUN TO STAY AT SONGBIRD PRAIRIE INN AND SPA
Saturday, May 6 12pm to 4pm Downtown Valparaiso TICKETS ON SALE, Monday, March 20

Join Valparaiso Events for a day of chocolate bliss! With participating retail locations, as well as several restaurants offering special sweet treats. The third annual Chocolate Walk is a chocolate lover’s paradise.
Ticket holder will be able to visit Downtown Valparaiso’s treasures destination and while you are there. You will receive a tasty chocolate sample.
This is a “walk” so take your time to stroll through downtown, the stores or stop for Lunch of dinner along the way. Be sure to take in all of what Downtown Valparaiso has to offer! Samples are donated from some of Valpo’s top candy makers, bakers and ice cream shops.
Chocolate Walk in Valparaiso, Songbird Prairie Inn and Spa an Indiana Dunes Bed and Breakfast,

Monday, April 24, 2017


                                              Mother's Day Special     Book NOW
Whether she's a "Red Hatter" or a "Tool Belt Diva", Plan a night reminiscing with Mom at Songbird Prairie Bed and Breakfast Inn and Spa.
 Remember those breakfasts in bed where you served her burnt toast and cold tea? Let us serve you both our Gourmet Hot Breakfast in our sunroom where songbirds serenade and entertain. Schedule Mom a massage while she is here for total relaxation.

Stay at Songbird Prairie with your mom in the Purple finch or Warbler suite and make her a bracelet of hand-blown glass beads and silver-plated metal beads which are topped off with a touch of rhinestone bling. Bracelet is included in package with beads of your choice up to $50.00 retail value Package Starts @ $249.00 Upgrades possible. 219-759-4274



American Goldfinch is a permanent “guest” at Songbird Prairie Inn and Spa! book now
Nicknamed “wild canary”, the American Goldfinch is a prized visitor at Songbird Prairie. This little finch is welcome and common at our feeders, where it eats primarily sunflower and nyjer seed. At Songbird Prairie, they also cover the salvia along our walkway to the Inn. They love to drink and bathe in our shallow birdbaths and are attracted to the watercourse that runs through this Indiana Dunes Bed & Breakfast’s woodlands. The American Goldfinch is a frequent visitor to our feeders and you would be assured to spot these vibrant yellow birds and hear their twittering call on your visit!
Diet:
In nature, the goldfinch feeds primarily during the day on seeds of grasses and trees. They may occasionally feed on insects and berries. They frequently visit backyard feeders – particularly those filled with thistle seed.
Size and Color:
A small bird, the American Goldfinch is generally between 4″-5″. The male is a vibrant yellow in the summer and an olive color during the winter months. The female is a dull yellow-brown shade which brightens only slightly during the summer. The brightly colored plumage of the male is to impress the female during the breeding season and attract a mate.
Song:
A long, twittering “per-chic-o-ree” or “po-ta-to chip.” The American Goldfinch is known for singing in flight, which adds to their cheerful, “wave-like” flight pattern.
Behavior:
These are active and acrobatic little finches that cling to weeds and seed socks, and sometimes mill about in large numbers at feeders or on the ground beneath them. Goldfinches fly with a bouncy, undulating pattern and often call in flight, drawing attention to themselves.
Habitat:
The goldfinch’s main natural habitats are weedy fields and floodplains, where plants such as thistles and asters are common. They’re also found in cultivated areas, roadsides, orchards, and backyards. American Goldfinches can be found at feeders any time of year, but most abundantly during winter.
Backyard Tips:
To encourage goldfinches into your yard, plant native thistles and other composite plants, as well as native milkweed. Almost any kind of bird feeder may attract American Goldfinches, including hopper, platform, and hanging feeders, and these birds don’t mind feeders that sway in the wind. You’ll also find American Goldfinches are happy to feed on the ground below feeders, eating spilled seeds. Enjoy your breakfast while hearing and watching these amazing birds.


INDIANA DUNES BIRDING FESTIVAL

Songbird Prairie Inn and Spa has whirlpool/fireplace suites and woodlands for birding                  Book now songbirdprairie.com

Dates: May 04 - May 07, 2017 Time: 6:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. (CT)
Venue: Indiana Dunes National and State Parks Phone: 219-395-1882
Address: 1600 N. 25 East, Chesterton, Indiana 46304
Admission: There is a fee to enter the Indiana Dunes State Park

ABOUT


Join in these four days of fantastic birding at Indiana's number one birding attraction. Celebrate the amazing spring migration on Lake Michigan's southern shore with field trips, presentations, live bird programs, young birder activities, and more.

Wednesday, April 12, 2017





Thursday, April 27, 2017   stay in an Indiana Dunes Inn and Spa near Star Plaza Theater Book Now
7:30 pm Concert
Star Plaza Theater

Bringing their unique blend of tight harmonies and slick dance moves to your favorite Doo-Wop, Motown, and old time Rock ’n Roll hits, Under the Streetlamp is composed of recent leading cast members of the Tony Award-winning sensation Jersey Boys. Singing hits like Rock Around the Clock, Blue Moon, Danke schön, Why Do Fools Fall in Love?, and Cupid plus other popular pieces from The Beach Boys, Frankie Valli, The Four Seasons, Sam Cooke, The Drifters, Bobby Darin, and The Beatles. Retro never sounded so now!



Monday, April 10, 2017







STAY AT SONGBIRD PRAIRIE INN AND SPA LUXURY SUITES IN VALPARAISO, AN INDIANA DUNES BED AND BREAKFAST 219-759-4274 BOOK NOW SONGBIRDPRAIRIE.COM




SUZY'S DINER CRUISE NIGHT then.... STAY IN WHIRLPOOL/FIREPLACE SUITE
Dates: April 05 - October 25, 2017 Time: 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. (CT) Venue: Suzy's Diner
Address: 407 S. Main St., Hebron, IN 46341 Phone: 219-996-3463
Admission: Free admission
ABOUT
Enjoy cool cars, music and a special discount at the diner. Every Wednesday, April to Oct.

Saturday, April 8, 2017



Eastern Kingbird is Treated Royally at Songbird Prairie

High in the treetops a medium-sized black and white bird flutters out to catch flying insects and aggressively attack other birds in flight, all the while emitting a sputtery series of sharp notes that sound like the zapping of an electric current. No need to look high in the tree tops here in Northwest Indiana at Songbird Prairie B&B, the Kingbird sits on the fence in front of the Inn for his breakfast. They are excellent fliers, able to catch flying insects and aggressively defend it’s breeding territory with its aerial mastery. Both male and female are black above and white below. The female’s chest is grayish. Male kingbirds have a small, red-orange patch of feathers on the crown, though this is rarely seen. A thin, white band on the tail margin clinches the identification. Spending the breeding season in open areas with scattered trees, eastern kingbirds prefer locations near water, probably for the bounty of insects. Fairly common in agricultural areas, pastures, city parks, and suburban neighborhoods with large trees and open understory during summer, most eastern kingbirds migrate to central and south America in winter. In migration, the kingbird travels in loose flocks, and it is not uncommon to see a dozen or more birds in one tree in spring or fall. The eastern kingbird or bee bird, is an insect eater, specializing in bees, wasps, moths, butterflies, on other large flying insects. That’s why they are here at Songbird Prairie we have a virtual buffet of them all! Sit and watch hunters, kingbirds find an exposed perch and wait for something edible to fly past. They then sally forth and grab the prey in their bill, returning to the perch to stun and eat the insect. Kingbirds also eat fruits at all seasons, including mulberries, cherries, and elderberries. These are most abundant here at Songbird Prairie B&B. Fruits make up the bulk of their winter diet in the tropics. The Kingbird’s nest is placed high in a tree and is a large, loosely woven cup of bark, twigs, and weed stems. Females do all of the nest building in incubation. A typical clutch is two to five eggs with a 15 day incubation period. Hatchlings spend about 16 days in the nest before fledging, after which they are attended to by both parents for several more weeks. They are very active in their territories in summer, especially here at Songbird Prairie Bed and Breakfast so if you want to watch for their fluttery fly catching flights and listen for their loud zapping calls, give us a call come for the weekend, come for the night, or come just for breakfast. The old myth that eastern kingbirds prey primarily on honeybees resulted in many of these birds being shot. Studies have now shown that the kingbirds eat relatively few honeybees, mostly drones.
songbirdprairie.com book now


VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY JAZZ FEST CONCERTS
Dates: April 07 - April 08, 2017 Time: 8:00 p.m. (CT)
Venue: Valparaiso University - Harre Union Ballroom
Address: 1009 Union Dr., Valparaiso, IN 46383 Phone: 219-464-5007
Admission: $10 for VU students; $20 for the general public

This year the VU Jazz Fest's featured performance to be announced.

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Business Travel
Why not make that next Sunday through Thursday Business Trip a mini-vacation?  Songbird Prairie is a peaceful place to remain productive and successful on the road. Stay in a Jacuzzi/Fireplace suite with European linens/towels and a hearty continental breakfast so you may breeze through those all day meetings. Or why not have your meeting at Songbird Prairie?  Then after a long day schedule a body scrub, facial or massage in our spa. 219-759-4274 This is single occupancy $129 early check in may be arranged.                                                                                  https://www.songbirdprairie.com


SPRING GIGANTIC INDOOR GARAGE SALE
THEN STAY IN A WHIRLPOOL/FIREPLACE SUITE songbirdprairie.com
Date: Saturday, April 08 Venue: Porter County Expo Center
Time: Early Bird admission 7:30 - 8:30 a.m.; General admission 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. (CT)
Address: 215 E. Division Rd., Valparaiso, IN 46383-9560 Phone: 219-464-0133
Admission: $5 early bird admission; $2 general admission

Lines of early bird shoppers can't wait to get through the doors and get their hands on the best items at the Spring Gigantic Indoor Garage Sale.