10/19/09

Feed the birds

As we come upon the cooler season, don't forget to put out feed for your winter friends. My summer flowers died off last week that hang outside my window. As I took them down, I thought of all the vivid colors I was going to miss seeing every day.
I decided to attract some of the neighborhood birdies by hanging a bird feeder. The activity has been unbelievable. I've had a pair of Carolina wrens, a pair of tufted titmouse, and a beautiful little chickadee so far. They make a hundred trips a day to the feeder. My feeder is on a shepherds hook right outside my window. My desk is right in front of the window. We have a lot of bird activity in our yard. Just yesterday, I watched a belted kingfisher (see photo) as he perched on a branch in a dead tree on the river bank. We see those frequently. They will sit and wait patiently before diving down in the river to catch a fresh fish.
We've seen scarlet tanagers, indigo buntings, bluebirds, blue jays, cardinals, finches, just about everything you can imagine.
On the river we have mallards, Canadian geese, Bald eagles, and herons. It is so much fun to watch them scoop fish out of the river and land on the far bank for lunch.
In the winter, there are a variety of birds that migrate from Canada to Tennessee for the winter months. So I'm looking forward to having these "visitors" and seeing what will land on my bird feeder. As I'm typing I'm listening to the chirping of the chickadee as he fusses at the titmouse to run him off the feeder. The chickadee won. He's enjoying his breakfast now.
Have a great day and check out the birds in your yard.

No comments: