For the birds

Several years ago we used to feed the birds on a regular basis. I had several feeders in the front and back yards and really enjoyed watching the variety of feathered critters who would come to visit ... cardinals, gold and housefinches, sparrows, wrens, titmice, mourning doves, woodpeckers, bluejays ... the list goes on and on. We even managed to somehow keep the squirrels out of the feeders with a simple baffle. I'm convinced we must have had the dumbest squirrels in MD because most squirrels get around most baffles with no problem.

Anyway, over a period of time, the big birds took over, the feeders deteriorated, and I just got weary of supplementing the crows and starlings as they scared away the smaller, prettier birds. An infestation of moths in the birdfood stored in the basement didn't help either (needless to say, birdfood does not even make its way into my house anymore!) and eventually I gave up feeding them and just continued to fill the two birdbaths for them to drink and frolic in.

With the arrival of the hummingbirds to the patio flowers last year,


I had already decided to try a hummingbird feeder again, which is now hanging by the backyard bench, patiently waiting for their return.


Because I enjoyed watching the birdies feed in my brother and sister's yards while we were there, I also decided to give more feeding another try. So, we picked up a finch feeder and some thistle (which is stored in the outside shed!) and it too is waiting for the little ones to discover it.

I figure I'll start small and see what happens.