feeders

Birds and Snow

/ handmadebyjo / 1 Comment

141126 Birds (2)

You can always tell when the weather will be bad by the number of birds on the feeders.  The chickadees demanded I put them up about a week ago while I was doing a walk about.  I relented figuring it was cold enough so the bears might have entered into hibernation.

Yesterday the activity stepped up and we all knew it was because a storm was coming.  They are much better forecasters than any human being (that and the joints were screaming).  This morning the snow started in earnest at about 9:00 and it went from nothing to blizzard almost instantly.

The birds continue to come, all varieties now, loading up.  Their feast for the holiday.

We have people travelling from all over.  Some are beginning to arrive, some I’m hoping will wait until tomorrow with the snow coming down the way it is now.  They predict up to 12 inches and at the rate it’s falling now I wouldn’t be surprised.

Here’s hoping everyone stays safe this coming long weekend and enjoys time spent with friends and family.  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

A Finch Obsession

/ handmadebyjo / 1 Comment

131228 Finches (1)Okay, this has become a bit of an obsession.  Honestly, who can blame me?  Look at how beautiful the light is shining through their wings.

I have been adding to the feeder array to attract more birds – I was thinking different types of birds but the early morning visitors are the finches.  The woodpecker was on the feeder very early this morning and the jays come and go.  When the finches come it’s a crowd.  They all tussle for a spot on any one of the four feeders that are out there now.

131228 Finches (5)Photographing them like this allows me to watch their interactions frozen in time.  It’s as close as I can get to examining them without looking at a dead bird.  It also is great seeing them stopped in flight.

Of course we now have a new visitor.  He’s just scavenging around the base of the feeders so far.  I’ll throw him some seed on the stump today and hope that’s where he continues to eat.

131228 Red Squirrel

Finches on the Feeder

/ handmadebyjo / 1 Comment

131226 Goldfinches (1)We are having a beautiful, light snowfall taking away the ugliness of mud that we had for Christmas eve and day.  The trees are dusted and the air is still.  The birds are taking advantage of the feeders today in large flocks.  I watched them make their way to the ash tree that is next to the feeders 10 and 20 at a time then fight for position on the perches.

Initially I just had my camera on automatic but the more I watched them flit from tree to ground to feeder I decided to up my shutter speed to photograph them in flight.  To stop the action of their wings.

131226 Goldfinches (2)Amazing.  I could do this all day.  Sit by the fire, drink a nice hot beverage and watch the birds and the snow.

The holidays are over – today is for me.  As much as I love having family surround me for the weeks around the holidays I really enjoy the day after when it’s quiet.  It’s a time I savor and today has been perfect.

 

 

If You Feed Them They Will Come

/ handmadebyjo / 2 Comments

100918 Birds (6)I’ve posted an older, warmer photograph today because this is really where this starts – feeding the birds.  Each year I try to be mindful of what I’m planting to bring the birds and butterflies to my veggie garden.  I always plant sunflowers because the finches always seem to know they are there and wouldn’t frequent my yard much without the food to entice them.

I don’t feed the birds otherwise until winter hits – and it has.  I hadn’t put feeders out in a few years because of the bear population and their affinity for bird feeders.  I heard somewhere that anytime after December 1st in our area it’s safe to put feeders out so I put out a small one the weekend after Thanksgiving.  I was surprised at the number of birds that were on it only 3 days later and at the number of different kinds of birds that were all vying for the seed of this one feeder.  I was thrilled.

Last weekend saw flocks of birds at the feeder at most hours of the day.  A surprising number of woodpeckers were visiting as well including two Red Bellied Woodpeckers.  They are the real stunners so far – large and flashy.  They are there everyday so now we just wait to see them.  It’s quite the colorful group as well – House Finches looking so rosy and Bluejays on the ground mixed in with the Goldfinches, Juncos and Chickadees. It seems like they all visit at different times of the day, each species taking its own turn.

Last night I decided to make something special for the woodpeckers to eat and proceeded to process suet, peanut butter and a nutty, fruity mix into self hanging feeders.  I mixed the ingredients warm, packed them into large paper cups that I had threaded a looped and knotted piece of twine through the bottom.  Once filled I put them in the freezer overnight.  This morning I peeled away the paper from the cup and hung one out on the hook next to the feeder.  We’ll see how this goes.  I’m also looking at other types of feeders and seed to try and cut down on the congestion at the one little feeder.

Cornell has a wonderful bird guide on line if you decide to feed the birds in your yard this year.  It’s a fun activity that brings life into your yard through the doldrums of winter.

So my camera is ready, the food is set out and all I need a little time to just sit and watch.