Elizabeth Barrette (ysabetwordsmith) wrote,
Elizabeth Barrette
ysabetwordsmith
  • Mood: pleased

Feeding the Birds

I enjoy providing extra food for the wildlife that shares my yard, although the yard is landscaped to provide food of its own. I usually put out cheap mixed birdseed through the winter, and when I can afford it, I mix in extra sunflower seed. I've discovered that the goldfinches are more interested thistle seed through the summer, though if they stick around, I keep filling that feeder through winter. I also put out suet. Several ears of corn have been tied together and hung, mostly for decoration, although sometimes the woodpeckers go after those.

This year, I have a platform feeder (cracked birdbath) for the big birds, a cedar hopper-style feeder, and a couple of suet feeders. My thistle feeder is a wire mesh cylinder with metal cover and bottom dish. Today I bought a hanging platform feeder, but I haven't put it out yet due to rain. It can actually double as a birdbath; there's a little removable dish for that. I may get a second frame and a spare dish: with two dishes, I could swap them out in winter and let the frozen one thaw indoors. Sometimes I also buy those little hang-anywhere birdseed bells. They don't last very long, but I can get them up in the bushes next to my office window.

There are hordes of sparrows, of course. Last year that's almost all I had. This year things look better. I saw a flock of finches at the thistle feeder. I've seen several bluejays at the platform feeder and one under the hopper. We also have mourning doves, cardinals, woodpeckers, etc. but they vary whether or not they'll come to the actual feeders. Plus a great-horned owl who bellowed outside my window last night for two hours. (Not all owls are quiet.) Often we get a dark-eyed junco flock in winter. One year we had house finches, which look like sparrows spray-painted pink on the front.

When the world is grey and still, it is good to see bright little lives in motion.
Tags: birdfeeding, environment
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  • 4 comments
anamacha

anamacha

October 23 2007, 09:34:29 UTC 13 years ago

good lord, whereabouts do you live?! I would love to get in such close proximity to an owl -- as Owl is my totem.
ysabetwordsmith

ysabetwordsmith

October 23 2007, 17:47:01 UTC 13 years ago

I live in central Illinois, in rural territory. Our yard is a bit over two acres, with lots of trees, surrounded by fields. We have a fairly good selection of wildlife. Great-horned owls, barn owls, and screech owls are all native to this area. We used to have barn owls in the yard. They left when the barn fell down -- and shortly thereafter the bigger, louder great-horned owls moved in.

I love the spooky sound of their conversation when it's an occasional hoo-hoo in the distance. But when it's HOO! HOO-HOO! hoo-hoo-HOO-HOO-HOO!! for several hours at a stretch when I'm trying to write, that can get a little pesky. I was about to go shoo him to another tree when he finally shut up.
anamacha

anamacha

October 23 2007, 20:09:28 UTC 13 years ago

that sounds wonderful, though I can understand the discomfort of the interruptions. I too need a fairly controlled environment when I'm working -- writing, whatever.

I'm in suburban Texas, and the most common annoyance around here is some gang-banger's thumpy car stereo turned up to fifty-two.
ysabetwordsmith

ysabetwordsmith

October 24 2007, 05:03:01 UTC 13 years ago

It's almost always a quiet, suitable working atmosphere here. There's annoying tractor engine noise during planting and harvest sometimes, but other than that, not much. *sigh* Though the owl is back tonight. Not as constant as before, but still louder than usual. Ah well. We can use the pest control, so I am glad to have owls.