Birds and bird feeding

Some folks are rather indiscriminate about birds and bird feeding. They feed pigeons scraps of bread, bread crumbs in areas of high foot traffic. You can see the end result, right? Lots of poop and not all of it just on the ground. Pigeons are definitely not to be encouraged or confused with their gentle cousin the mourning dove, which is generally a more well-behaved bird, content to wait for seed to fall from a feeder.

Feeding native birds

Parks and backyards are far better places from which to feed native birds and enjoy their activities. Or antics, whichever the case may be. I really do love to watch goldfinches as they swarm around the thistle feeder. It’s an eating frenzy from February through early June; then they disappear. It happens every year, just as their lemon-yellow color reaches full peak, then poof -they are gone for several months. They’ll be back, after they have lost most of their color and there is just the hint of yellow on their backs.

Still, it is wonderful to watch the birds as I sip my morning coffee. It makes me smile when I think about how it took over a year to attract any birds at the feeder in my yard. Perseverance is key and eventually, they will come. When they do, just keep the feeder filled and you will reap the relaxation and joy that comes from observing these sweet creatures.

Birdseed

I’ve learned that it does not pay to buy the cheapest birdseed. It’s mostly millet and filler and most birds just hate it. I buy a song-bird blend with dried fruit, nuts and seeds that range from pumpkin to safflower. This seed attracts a wider range of species and I would say it seems to be like crack for birds. They don’t even wait for me to go inside- a chickadee flew directly at the feeder, so close I could feel the air around my hand flutter before it realized the human had not finished pouring the seed! I could see the bird’s ‘Oh, crap!’ moment and it was hilarious.

I can count several cardinals -the bright tangerine-red male and the plainer female as regulars. Just the opposite of our human species, male birds are larger and more extravagantly colored in order to attract his female. Now, it’s become common for me to find juncos, chickadees, wrens and sparrows or nuthatches at the feeder.

First time guests

Last year for the first time, red-wing blackbirds came to the feeder. Even a huge, red-bellied woodpecker made a surprise visit. Not sure why he thought he could fit his insect-finding beak into the tiny holes of a thistle feeder, but he spent a good deal of time trying. Of course, somewhere in the crowd there is bound to be a bully or two: bluejays, with their awful screech or the grackles that descend in groups and can easily push away smaller, more timid birds.

No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings

-William Blake

Last spring, an American robin made an appearance at the feeder. I thought this was odd given that they usually prefer nice, plump earthworms as their steady diet. Early May and I was so intent on prepping the garden bed for planting, I didn’t notice a large robin scurrying close by. It wasn’t until he moved to within a few inches of me that I realized he was contentedly devouring a large worm.

As I turned over the soft soil, he had an easy pick of an afternoon meal. All he had to do was wait for me to reveal the treasure with each pitch fork of overturned soil. Then it became me helping him. Every time I found a worm, I tossed it on the low, stone wall and let him have his fill.

Provide a source of water

Of course, if one is going to feed the birds, one must also provide water. As the weather turns colder, you may find yourself thinking, “What will the birds do when the water freezes?” Well, what else? Get a heater to keep the water from freezing! This is when your spouse gives you the “You’re doing what?!” look, accompanied by the slow head movement from side to side with the eye-roll, as they leave the room muttering.