Lunch time for the little birds.
I developed my love of birds many years ago, thanks to a friend who urged me to get my feeders up early in the fall, and once the feeding had started, to stay commited until the late spring. I am not one who would ever wish to have an aviary of exotic birds or even a caged finch for that matter. I just can’t bear the thought of these lovely little creatures barred from the freedom of flight. But, that being said, nothing brings me more pleasure than watching the birds at play, chirping away in my garden.
Niagara has a particularly diverse song bird population since we are part of the migratory path for may of these winged friends. We have our share of hawks, turkey vultures, ducks and honking Canada geese and of course of wonderful great horned owls that nest in the willows at our pond. My greatest treasure is the tiny hummingbird nest (which is now on display in a shadow box in our retail store) which I found on a pear branch while taking a November stroll two years ago. It is truly a marvel to behold!
Basil gardening...
One of the best things about this time of year is that as the canopy of leaves gives way to the skeletal structure of our deciduous trees I can now observe the many and varied birds in all their glory. Last week, my lover-boy feline Basil and I took to the garden to do a little yard work and install our many bird feeders. My birch tree is just perfect for this exercise. I have 11 feeders which I hang from different areas of the tree. They are simple, functional feeders (no fancy bells and whistles required) ranging from suet feeders which attract the chickadees and downy woodpeckers, nyger seed tube feeders from which hang any number of animated little finches and variety of standard feeders which I fill with cracked corn, millet seed, sunflower seeds, thistledink seed as well as mixed seed mixed with dried berries and nuts — a gourmet feast for any number of birds.
At the start of the season, I hang my left over indian corn cobs from the feeders to announce to my bird population that I have set the table and dinner is ready! In no time the tweets go out throughout the garden. It seems that the chickadees are the first to send out their “chick-a-dee-dee-dee” tweets followed by a cacaphony of chirps from the many and various little sparrows. They all have their own feeding times. I would almost suggest that there is a maitre d’ somewhere who takes reservations. The final seating for our birdfeeder restaurant is between 4 and 5 pm just as the winter sun begins to set. I often stare out at the feeders when I am on the phone, observing the antics of the various patrons. Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal always remind me of a Duke and Duchess — elegant and stately. The juncos are the businessmen or perhaps politicians in the crowd dressed in their grey and distinguished suits of feathers. The wonderful Downy Woodpeckers remind me of clerics–perhaps bishops and monsignors. The various sparrows are the common folk , my glorious fire finches, purple and gold finches are the “artsy” types — at least in my imagination. I can’t forget those noisy, brash and bossy Blue Jays! They are the Tony Sopranos of the group — pushing about the others and generally throwing their weight around.
A woodpecker enjoying the suet.
Those who have met my cats may wonder whether having these feeders is simply a ploy to entertain and feed my kitties. Interestingly enough, while they do sit for hours enjoying the bird life at the feeders, it is a very rare occasion that they attack. For anyone interested in why, pick up a copy of “Animals Make Us Human” by Temple Grandin. She makes a very compelling argument for why cats perceive these birds which I feed to be part of our “family”. Her theory seems to be validated by my experience.
Placement of some of my feeders is very specific. I have two finch feeders and a suet feeder hanging so that I can observe them from the coziness of my bed. As the days begin to lengthen, the little gold finches begin to loose their dull olive colour and take on their resplendant golden feathers…a sure fire sign that spring is on its way.
With Christmas around the corner, I think a gift of a bird feeder makes a wonderful present for young and old alike. It breathes a wonderful new sense of life in what can be a very long and dreary season.