Give Birds a Reason to Flock to Your Yard
Oct 6th, 2009 by Shari
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: there are very few things that are more rewarding – or more amusing – than feeding wild birds. It’s particularly fun for me, because, as a writer, I sit at my computer all day long, so I can enjoy the show as I work. My birdfeeders are out on my patio; and, as far as I’m concerned, they’re as essential as my picnic table, patio umbrella, garden benches, porch swing, Adirondack chairs, and all of my other outdoor furniture.
On the table next to me, I also have bird books and binoculars, in case I glimpse a bird I’ve never seen before, or have seen only once or twice in my life. That happens a lot when you have a birdfeeder. Word gets around, I’m telling you – you can hear the birds tweeting each other – and they literally flock to your backyard. As it turns out, sometimes, those rarely seen birds are rarely seen only because they haven’t had the proper enticement to show themselves. Without it, even the most common birds can go undetected for great lengths of time.
In my case, finches are good examples of this. I know there are tons of them around, but I hadn’t seen one in years. Rather, I had only been seeing purple finches. Now, I’m not complaining, because I love purple finches; but, for some reason, I hadn’t seen a goldfinch practically since I was a kid. Well, because I offer a variety of food in my birdfeeders, and because there were purple finches out there eating it, and because I figured that if a purple one would eat it, so would a gold one, I started to think that maybe there actually was a shortage of goldfinches in my area.
Then, one day, I read that nyjer seed is the favorite food of finches. So I tried it, and sure enough, later that week, suddenly, there was a goldfinch at my feeder. Well, that was awhile ago, and, now that I see dozens of them at a time, I can say with certainty that there’s no dearth of goldfinches around here.
This is just one of the many rewards of feeding wild birds. If you want to experience all of the other delights that come with it, start by going to CedarStore.com and choosing from our selection of hopper, platform, hanging, tube, and post-mounted birdfeeders. To further ensure that the birds will hang around, select one of our durable birdhouses as well.
Oh, yeah, and, while you’re there, don’t forget to get a birdbath, too. After all, no one likes a dirty birdie.
Yours Outdoors,
Kathy
