Gone to the Birds

 Feed The Birds (Tuppence A Bag)

Over the last year and a bit, I've gotten into birds. Not owning them as pets, but as one who appreciates and enjoys them in environment around my home. Last summer I had a hummingbird feeder that was very popular with the hummers. And this winter, despite the threat of avian flu, we have hung and maintained a bird feeder. 

It's glorious coming down in the morning and spying the flock of blue jays that take it over in the mornings. As I drink my coffee, I stand in the dining room window watching the fat little chickadees dart in between the jays to grab some seed and dash off again. 

This season we've had the usual assortment of characters at the feeder - blue jays, chickadees, snow buntings, sparrows, crows, Hungarian partridges, and pheasants. We've had a robin around the last few weeks. We can't decide if he overwintered here or is just really early this year. I often see him hunkered down in the holly bush. 

I've been loving having the birds around more this season - we always had feeders out ever since I was a kid but since the avian flu became more common in the last few, we had abided by Fish and Wildlife's dictate that all feeders come down. 

All that to say, winter is way more enjoyable when you are helping to look after the birds in your area.