Birds

When I was a kid, my dad attached a small piece of plywood outside the window of our dining room.  It was a very simple bird feeder.  To put more bird seed out all we had to do was open the window.  It also made it very easy to bird watch.

Little chickadees and sparrows came, so did the Blue Jays.  Robins would sometimes stop by.  The babies would fly away if they saw us moving inside the house but the older birds knew we were not going to hurt them so they often stayed, although on the side opposite the house.

During the summer Mom would hang a hummingbird feeder on the living room window.  That was fascinating.  Again, the babies usually flew away if they saw movement inside, but by the end of the summer we could sit quietly on the sofa under the window and watch them.

Okay, I don't have any pictures of birds.  This is where they like to hang out.

Birds are amazing.  They have to eat a lot to keep up their energy.  That’s why the feeders are so important.

They don’t have to be fancy.  A piece of plywood outside a window works for some birds.  Some birds like to eat from the hanging feeder.  Others like to eat off the ground.  If you want to set up a feeder outside your window, it’s good to know what the birds in your area like to eat and how.  Go to your library and check out some books on birds in your area.  Feel free to use the sources at the end of this blog. 

The place I live now has a tree outside my living room window which is full of birds during the summer.  I love listening to their chatter when the sun rises and sets every day.

Bird watching is an easy way to admire nature, but it does require patience.  You will hear a bird long before you see one (for more than a second).

Pack out what you pack in.