Almost exactly a year ago, I posted that we were not going to feed the birds that fall and winter. But as the weather cooled down this month, I felt myself longing for birds. It was very quiet last winter. There has been no sighting of the r-word, so we are going to begin again! It is a bit expensive as I noted last year, but those birdies give so much pleasure. We've changed the spot to the clothesline. The feeders used to be strung out the kitchen door (across the road) in the lilac and honeysuckle trees, but this will be an easier place to reach when the snow is deep. In just a few days, we've had chickadees, bluejays, a woodpecker, and juncos. It is lovely to hear them through the open bedroom window in the morning.
Great idea to use the clothes line. I do the same here, though not with a close line, but with my gnarly pinyon and juniper trees outside the kitchen window.
ReplyDeleteThey've already used the various parts of the wood to stand on, waiting for the feeders! Gnarly is good for hanging feeders!
DeleteWhat a quiet world it would be without birds. You will enjoy them.
ReplyDeleteWe always did, but didn't dare for those two periods when the coyote came, and then the r-word was around.
DeleteI don't feed during summer but do feed during fall and winter. It does get a bit lonely during summer but I just heard Julie Zickenfuse say she thought it was more healthy since birds don't over breed and the infectious diseases are not so prevalent during winter.
ReplyDeleteIn summer, they have plenty! Interesting what she said. Also in summer, they are busy feeding their babies with all the insects and worms around.
DeleteWhen we had indoor/outdoor cats 1999-2008, I never had bird feeders, it would have been to cruel yet, our calico always brought home a bird at least weekly, along with mice, moles and snakes; she was the ultimate hunter. Then we moved and cats became indoor only so up the feeders went - so much pleasure: cardinals, goldfinches, woodpeckers along with all the plentiful birds too. Now we can only have feeders Dec-March because of bears.
ReplyDeleteHope your feeders bring you much pleasure this winter.
We are too cold for cardinals sadly. They are so beautiful.
DeleteOh, yes the bears! They are quite prevalent even in town. The woman who cuts my hair had to take hers down which she usually leaves year round because a couple bears came during the daytime! She said, "that's it." Our bears mostly stay up in the woods.
We haven't let cats outside for decades. When we first moved from in-town to the country, we thought that we'd let them out. Over the years, we lost two to coyotes, and two to fishers- the worst creature ever made. I've read horror stories of how many birds cats destroy every year. Millions.
Plus I think they are happier inside. They are not only hunters outdoors, but also hunted. Must be very stressful.
Isn't it amazing how fast word spreads round regarding a new food source! Lovely to watch birds from your house. All of this summer, Imhave provided water for the birds (and the occasional squirrel) on my kitchen windowsill. Now that the first frosty nights are imminent, I will also put food out again.
ReplyDeleteIt's true!! As I look out right now, some of the hens were eating along with the wild birds. Peaceable kingdom.
DeleteHello, Nan! I know what you mean when you say it's lovely to hear birds in the morning. Though I live in the heart of a bustling city like Mumbai, we get our share of birds including sparrows, mynas and parrots in the trees in front of our home. They usually wake us up very early in the morning. It's a nice way to start the day.
ReplyDeleteSO very nice to hear from you! And am so happy you have birds right there at your house in Mumbai!
DeleteYou have me stumped. What's the R-word?
ReplyDeleteIf you click the "posted" link, you can read about it!
DeleteI had to click to find out what the R word was! I understand but with us it's skunks, 3 of them, fox family, possums and an occasional raccoon. We can't do without our visiting songbirds but we too moved our feeders away from the house. I loved having window feeders but decided it was inviting pests to the house. My husband has always run a Hotel Hilton for the critters ever since we were married.
ReplyDeletehaha! And I love that last sentence!
DeleteWe have five feeders, as well as one for hummingbirds. It's amazing how quickly the birds go through the seeds, especially the blue jays! They are so greedy. We get lots of chickadees, finches, juncos, crossbills, and varied thrushes. I do miss cardinals and goldfinches, but we do see the occasional eagle and pelicans (not at our feeders, of course!), so that makes up for the absence of the others.
ReplyDeleteThe jays usually quiet down here as the fall moves along, but right now they eat a lot!
DeleteDo you have trouble with mice at your house?
No, no trouble with mice. We do have a family of raccoons that stop by to eat the bird seed that falls from the feeders, though. Oh, and we did have a problem with rats getting into the attic space, but we were able to figure out how to keep them out of the house. Haven't seen any outside, either.
DeleteJust the word terrifies me. I'd take Kay's snakes over them!
DeleteLol!
DeleteOur local birds flock in to feed on the pinyon seeds this time of year. I love watching them. I really am enjoying your headers. We have very few leafy trees, Aspen is the exception, and I love seeing the red and gold of your leaves.
ReplyDeleteIt has been the most beautiful and long-lasting foliage I can remember! The drought? The rain that has come more recently? Who knows?!
DeleteThere are a lot of turkeys wandering around Greater Boston, mostly terrorizing the mailmen. It is funny to come across them unexpectedly. We didn't think they flew much but my mother saw one high up in a tree outside her window recently.
ReplyDeleteI am nearly ready to give up my bird feeder because of squirrels trying to climb up the walls to get it and other creatures. I think I will finish the current bag of bird food first.
They seem so gentle here. Maybe they should carry a bit of sunflower seed and drop it for them!
DeleteHave you ever tried a squirrel guard? I haven't but some have had great success. I expect you mean grays. I really don't care for them at all, but I adore the little red ones, which happily are the ones who live here.