refill the bird feeders more often

I wanted bird feeding to be nothing but fun. But, I’m learning that like most things in life, responsibility comes along with the fun. I’ve been so-so about cleaning my feeders, but I got a real wake-up call this week. A House Finch with eye disease showed up in my backyard a couple of days ago. I have spent hours watching and photographing the bird, getting someone to confirm the diagnosis, then seeking help about what to do. After consulting with several experts, I decided to catch the bird and have her euthanized. Otherwise, she could spread the disease to other birds and/or die a slow death from starvation.

Update as of this morning – I did not see the bird at all yesterday. Don’t know if she has already died, but she didn’t look that sick yet to me. Maybe she just moved on. In any case, it’s killing me to stop feeding since I have dozens of fledgling and juvenile Goldfinches. But I’ve had to take down the feeders for cleaning and I hoped to catch the House Finch before I put them back up. Washing the feeders – first with hot water and soap, then soaking in 10% bleach for 20 minutes, and finally rinsing thoroughly – is taking a long time. I’ve got other things to do. But I’m trying to be a responsible bird feeder. Sometimes being responsible just sucks.

A wickedly snowy day, so I came home early and put out a lot of extra birdseed and suet. They are chowing down like champs out there. Every bird for miles around. I guess they need it, not knowing how long this will last, whether they’ll be able to find food later when everything is frozen in. Plus they must need to burn an awful lot of calories to keep warm in this windy mess(especially the cardinals.)

Not really birdfeeder action, but filled birdfeeders ensure a certain amount of looking out the window, where I’m bound see cool stuff.

While looking up the common mergansers I’d seen the other day, I kept coming across photos of hooded mergansers.http://www.birdinfo.com/A_Images_H/HoodedMerganser_0002.html" alt="" />

Not one to be satisfied with what I’ve got, the little kid in me complained, “why don’t I ever get to see a hoodie?” Saturday, a hoodie came bobbing right by.

Sunday morning, looking out the window, I remarked ruefully on the fact that the muskrat who’d been living in the bank when I moved here had moved house. “But one will be back. It’s about time.” As if I should know anything about muskrat timing. Well I guess I could feel him coming, because by the afternoon, there was one, working on some sort of underwater construction project by the fallen log.

Finches, cardinals, sparrows, doves, starlings, woodpdeckers (downy, hairy and red-bellied), nuthatches, titmice and bluejays.
A pair of mallards and a pair of mergansers.

The mergansers were so pretty – dipping and diving in the fast-running thaw.

Edit: It’s a real ducky pair-off day. Came home and saw another mallard pair and a couple of American black ducks.

We had our first really cold weather this past weekend and it brought more birds to my yard than any day since I started keeping count at Thanksgiving. On Sunday 14 species, including my first White-throated Sparrows, visited. When I saw the birds foraging in my front yard, I was so glad that I’d left the leaves on the garden. I love it when being lazy reaps such wonderful rewards.

The squirrels were unusually active, too. My frustration gave way to laughter as I watched one squirrel hang upside down and reach as far as he could to get the suet. I worried that he would eat it all, but he left plenty for the Carolina Wren and Downy Woodpecker who share his good taste. I wondered if it was a message about life – don’t worry, there’s enough for everyone.

helped me pick up a 50 lb bag, and I got some suet while I was at it. So everybody should stay happy.

Last weekend we saw a hawk sitting down on the bank eating its kill. It was hard to tell at first what the kill might have been. I couldn’t hold the binoculars that steady. It couldn’t have been something small like a mouse or vole, as the hawk was taking too long to consume it. My guess was a young squirrel, until B, who’s got a steadier hand, saw a clump of grey feathers. I was worried it might have been a feeder bird, but B said the feathers were much too long to have belonged to any of the feeder birds. Eventually we figured it must have been a seagull.

At my grocery store you can still buy real, unprocessed into cakes, suet. Or take fat left over from cooking (the skin and skimmings when making chicken soup, for example), or even peanut butter. Freeze it in a small deli container, adding fillers, like bread crumbs or cranberries, if desired. The frozen fat cake fits tidily into a suet feeder.

It’s interesting how one thing leads to another. I have a platform feeder in my front yard and this goal started simply as an attempt to put food in that feeder more often. Well, I did and I enjoyed seeing more birds. This year it led to joining my local Audubon Society which led to learning more and meeting new people. My son and his wife got interested in birding about the same time on their own. When we discovered this shared interest, we started doing birding activities together so I’ve had a chance to spend more time with them.

But best of all is how watching the birds brings me into the present moment. When I’m trying to identify a bird, or just observing its behavior, I’m there. No thoughts of work on Monday or problems or stress – I’m just there watching the bird.

Technically, I’ve completed this goal, but I’m leaving it on my active list just for fun.

Saturday I bought 2 new bird feeders for my deck. I was a little concerned since there aren’t any trees or cover for maybe 30-40 feet. Nothing the first day. I put some aluminum foil on the feeders to draw attention and within 2 hours the first Carolina Chickadee came to check it out. Today I had Cardinals, the Chickadees again, Goldfinches and a Tufted Titmouse. I’m happy. It sure is relaxing to come home after work and see the birds.

and my yard is beautiful!!!