Try a Seed Sock for your Visitors

The Seed Sock can be refilled over and over with oil rich seeds. Nothing attracts winter birds like one of these socks in addition a regular feeder.

Help Your Winter Visitors

For many years we had very few birds in the winter. About ten years ago my wife and I decided to make the feeding area a little more private and protected from the wind and it has paid off wonderfully. The birds in the photos are mostly Red Poles from the Arctic that visit Maine in the winter and return north in the spring to nest. In addition to Red Poles, we have a flock of about two dozen Mourning Doves that winter in our woods, six Blue jays that harass everything, a flock of Chickadees and several Nuthatches that drop by. The Downy woodpeckers hammer at the bird feeders and stumps on a regular basis picking flies out of the bark and digging for grubs. The sock with all the birds is filled with Nyjer seeds, the barrel feeder has sunflower seeds and the trough gets a full ration of mixed bird seed. Occasionally we add suet squares for the Blue jays and woodpeckers as an extra treat in extremely cold weather. This year we fed the birds about 100 pounds of seed per month to keep them happy. When spring comes, the Goldfinches and Hummingbirds will arrive with Robins and our resident family of crows that patrol all the back fields looking for pests. They never bother the garden or the other birds, so no one bothers them in return.

Girardin Family Whistle Project

The Girardin family is adding music to their clog dancing routine that they present for family functions, church events and elderly entertainments. When I went searching for a flute player for the pictures of the Mystic Auto Fife, I got immeditate response from Leah Girardin. She and her two daughters Darryl Ann and Kayla were already doing clogging and they all agreed that learning the whistle might fit in just right with their routines and add another element to the entertainment. They do a great deal together as a family for the community and I am proud to have them adding their own music to this project. Whe have started out with D & C whistles and will be going on to Low whistles as the girls develop their skills. Thursday nights will be Whistle Night at the Acoustically Perfect Barn outback. The two thousand square foot building is being cleared and cleaned to provide the local musicians in the area a place to try out different Keys and Kinds of whistles and to give instructional help to beginners and those that want to improve their whistling skills. I am sure that with the Girl Scouts, Girardin Family and all those testers who have had a part in getting things going that it will be a fun time. Dates and times will be posted in the end of April when it warms up around here enough to get outside and really enjoy it.

Low G Mystic Auto Flute

This Whistlesmith product is no longer available. Our current selection of whistles and other Whistlesmith products and accessories are available here.

Buy the latest Whistlesmith Whistles in our Online Store >>

A brand new flute design with an automatic Sideshooter mouthpiece available only from the Whistlesmith! The Mystic Auto Flute is easily played by anyone familiar with the flute, fife or pennywhistle. Blow into the mouthpiece and your breath is directed sideways over the sound hole for perfect tone and clarity. In less than ten minutes, you will be playing this instrument like a professional.

The Mystic Auto Flute will appeal to the beginning player or an experienced musician and has been designed to fill the requirements of people who play the flute and have written with suggestions and requests.

• Low learning curve allows you to concentrate on your marching and play like a professional.
• The Mystic Auto Flute will play in cold weather and in a heavy wind.
• Flute sound hole faces your right ear so you can hear over loud musical instruments.
• Head is hollow with two poly foam plugs equally spaced behind the sound hole to give increased volume and clarity.
• Mystic Auto Flute is hand tuned and electronically checked before it leaves my shop.
• Sideshooter mouthpiece is easily cleared by covering the sound hole with your finger and blowing mouthpiece.
• PVC and acrylic construction will not bend, break, or warp out of key. PVC gives great sound because it is similar in density to high quality hardwood and warms up quickly and stays warmed up because of its insulation value.
• There is no wood or adhesives in this instrument.
• Tuning slide is copper and allows you to turn finger holes vertically for comfortable fingering, all edges are beveled, and the bore is completely unpainted for best sound.
• Finger holes are for set for small hands playing and finger holes are offset for correct and comfortable fingering. Folks with large hands will find fingering to be extra comfortable
• The mouthpiece slides completely apart and all surfaces are accessible for cleaning.
• Mystic Auto Flute comes in a variety of custom colors. Painted flutes are airbrushed with liquid vinyl color and three coats of clear top coat. Instruments coated with vinyl feel dry and slip nicely on your hand even in wet, damp conditions.

Key of C & D Mystic Auto Fifes

This Whistlesmith product is no longer available. Our current selection of whistles and other Whistlesmith products and accessories are available here.

Buy the latest Whistlesmith Whistles in our Online Store >>

Key of C and D Fifes have a completely different mouthpiece and construction than the larger size Bb Fife. Compare the photos on the Bb fife and you can easily see the difference in size and construction of the head.
A brand new fife design with an automatic Sideshooter mouthpiece available only from the Whistlesmith! The Mystic Auto Fife is easily played by anyone familiar with the pennywhistle, fife, or flute. Blow into the mouthpiece and your breath is directed sideways over the sound hole for perfect tone and clarity. In less than ten minutes, you will be playing this instrument like a professional.

The Mystic Auto Fife will appeal to the beginning player or an experienced musician and has been designed to fill the requirements of people who play the fife and have written with suggestions and requests.

• Low learning curve allows you to concentrate on your marching and play like a professional.
• The Mystic Auto Fife will play in cold weather and in a heavy wind.
• Fife sound hole faces your right ear so you can hear your instrument over loud snare drums and other fifes when playing.
• Head is hollow with two adjustable polyfoam plugs equally spaced behind the sound hole to give increased volume and clarity.
• Mystic Auto Fife is hand tuned, tweaked, and electronically checked before it leaves my shop.
• Sideshooter mouthpiece is easily cleared by covering the sound hole with your finger and blowing mouthpiece.
• PVC construction will not bend, break, or warp out of key. PVC gives great sound because it is similar in density to high quality hardwood and warms up quickly and stays warmed up because of its insulation value.
• There is no wood, metal, or adhesives in this instrument. All joints are self tapers, all edges are beveled, and the bore is completely unpainted for best sound.
• Finger holes are for small hands playing and finger holes are offset on models if needed for correct and comfortable fingering.
• The mouthpiece slides completely apart and all surfaces are accessible for cleaning.
• Mystic Auto Fife comes in a variety of custom colors. Whistles done in colors are airbrushed with liquid vinyl color and three coats of clear top coat. Whistles coated with vinyl feel dry and slip nicely on your hand even in wet, damp conditions.

Bb Mystic Auto Fife

This Whistlesmith product is no longer available. Our current selection of whistles and other Whistlesmith products and accessories are available here.

Buy the latest Whistlesmith Whistles in our Online Store >>

A brand new fife design with an automatic Sideshooter mouthpiece available only from the Whistlesmith! The Mystic Auto Fife is easily played by anyone familiar with the pennywhistle, fife, or flute. Blow into the mouthpiece and your breath is directed sideways over the sound hole for perfect tone and clarity. In less than ten minutes, you will be playing this instrument like a professional.

The Mystic Auto Fife will appeal to the beginning player or an experienced musician and has been designed to fill the requirements of people who play the fife and have written with suggestions and requests.

• Low learning curve allows you to concentrate on your marching and play like a professional.
• The Mystic Auto Fife will play in cold weather and in a heavy wind.
• Fife sound hole faces your right ear so you can hear your instrument over loud snare drums and other fifes when marching.
• Head is hollow two poly plugs behind the sound hole to give increased volume and clarity.
• Mystic Auto Fife is hand tuned, tweaked, and electronically checked before it leaves my shop.
• Sideshooter mouthpiece is easily cleared by covering the sound hole with your finger and blowing mouthpiece.
• PVC construction will not bend, break, or warp out of key. PVC gives great sound because it is similar in density to high quality hardwood and warms up quickly and stays warmed up because of its insulation value.
• There is no wood, metal, or adhesives in this instrument. All joints are self tapers, all edges are beveled, and the bore is completely unpainted for best sound.
• Finger holes are for small hands playing and finger holes are offset on models if needed for correct and comfortable fingering.
• The Side Shooter mouthpiece slides completely apart and all surfaces are accessible for cleaning.
• Mystic Auto Fife comes in a variety of custom colors. Whistles are airbrushed with liquid vinyl color and three coats of clear top coat. Whistles coated with vinyl feel dry and slip nicely on your hand even in wet, damp conditions.