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| You can see the birds up close, just click on the pic |
I feed these birds because in many ways I feel responsible for them. This may be a silly reason to some people, but most of these birds would not be here if I hadn't provided food for their parents during breeding season. Lately, with the cold weather, many more goldfinches are visiting me. I imagine them telling their friends about it. I also belong to a birding listserv, so I know from emails that there are many, many other people like me who worry about our feathered friends during the cold.
The dark material in the upper right of the picture is to block the light from that huge and very bright light that is supposed to keep us safe from burglars. The light reflects back onto the porch and makes it hard for me to sleep when I need a nice dark room. The material helps.
You can also see the suet feeder on the left, which is a favorite of woodpeckers, flickers, chickadees and bushtits. The sparrows aren't interested, which make me happy. Here's a picture I took of the front porch as I approached it:
It gives me so much pleasure to feed and watch all the birds that visit me, but my very favorites will always be the chickadees, because they seem to know me and talk to me when I come to fill the feeders.
:-)
You have a very good system there to feed your friends. I envy people with that much overhang. I try to put seeds on a bunge cord with a round lid to keep squirrels from sliding down and getting onto the feeder. The feeder hooks onto the under side of the lid. So that is something of a roof over the feeder but it still gets wet. Anything that drops goes on the ground and mostly mourning doves or squirrels eat that.
ReplyDeleteOnce a person begins to feed birds or four-legged animals, they learn to depend on that spot or location as a source of food. And in that process also give up or forget the places the used to find food sometimes. If you stop try to do it in the summer when wild places have food in abundance. They need the food in the winter and in the spring as they usually have nests or are laying eggs. Once the birds have fledged, in the summer, then you could stop or slow down and begin skipping days.
I'm glad to hear that you're having success with bird feeding...and a great place to view them. I have a deck area to feed them but Maggie loves to bird hunt, and I feel I'm inviting them in to be hunted. I too love birds...although it seems to me that there are fewer of them, and that they might be going extinct. And I'm also glad to hear there are many out there that are helping them during the winter months. Encouraging.
ReplyDeleteThat's quite a nice set up you have for the birds. I truly enjoyed this post about the birds, the thoughts behind what and why you position the feeders, and did not realize there is a birdbath heater.
ReplyDeleteI have a decent overhang but Maggie can jump very high and am afraid she would take a few birds down. In the spring we have barn swallows nesting under the eves. Maggie cannot touch them. Trees are scarce around the house but I may just get a few suet feeders this winter to place in the trees in the pasture. I do worry about the birds during the cold weather.
What a lovely porch you have, Jan! Nice setup for the birds as well. I am sure they are grateful.
ReplyDeleteI love your "dining area" for your birds. I also feed my birds in the cold, but I don't have an overhang like you do so I'm afraid my feeder isn't protected from the snow. I still get a lot of birds, though. I never thought about providing water with a heater. What a great idea. How do you heat it?
ReplyDeleteAwww :) I love it when people watch out for animals, that is a gorgeous pic the one at the top :)
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You are doing a magnificent favor for our feathered friends. I love watching them, but this year I chose not to put out my feeders for winter because it is such a commitment and I was not sure I could do it on a daily basis. I really miss seeing all the flashes of color and the activity at the feeders.
ReplyDeleteI wish I had some place to give birds a break in winter. We don't even have a tree that is 5 feet tall!. I miss the birds.
ReplyDeleteI am very jealous. I don't think you should worry a second about what people think about you feeding the birds. Let's face it birds have a very hard life and don't live long lives. It's a win-win situation for you to feed those that come to your porch. They are nourished in body and you are nourished in spirit.
ReplyDeleteI guess if we were to ever visit, I should leave my bb gun home,eh?
ReplyDeleteThe overhang is handy. Although I am certain, with your dedication, if there were no overhang you'd figure out something.
ReplyDeleteI know you've posted your concerns before in regards to whether your feeding the birds is ultimately a help or a hinderance. I imagine if you did not feed them they would find another food source. In the meantime, take what joy you can from one another.
smiles. i know this feeling but toward the boys that i work with...once thy have won your heart there is no going back...
ReplyDeleteYou provide a glimpse of your beautiful views. What natural beauty! We have given up bird feeders unfortunately because of some persistent squirrels.
ReplyDeleteYou have a great place for your bird feeders DJan, the little birds can enjoy their meal out of the weather. I couldn't help but think as I read your post about your local squirrel population. They are determined little fellows to climb up there and raid your feeders under the threat of a water gun. LOL!!
ReplyDeleteYou have a great place for feeding the birds. Attracting birds to feeders helps the birds and adds so much to our lives too.
ReplyDeleteYou have a very nice array of feeders. I always loved how the suet seemed to be so appreciated during really cold spells. The birds can get plenty of concentrated energy from small amounts of the fatty stuff. You are doing a good deed, and all the small feathered friends in your area know you for your kindness.
ReplyDeleteD-Jan,your bird feeders are sure going to help those birds left out in the cold.I too have a porch similar to yours,lots of birds drop by daily ,lots of sparrows here...they do make a mess,but the pigeons mostly mess up my porch.I keep cleaning often and when we put out furniture,it gets dirty fast.But I love my birds.
ReplyDeleteThese are wonderful. I need some sort of a shelter for my feeder now that my only tree is gone. I wonder about the mess on the ground but if the sparrows aren't coming around, there probably isn't too much concern there. They're really messy eaters.
ReplyDeleteOh, heavy *sigh,* what a view, lovely. I am feeding city squirrels and Weaver Finches ( also mistakenly known as house sparrows) now. Oh, and poor homeless city cats... There is not enough extra food for the weary... :}
ReplyDeleteYou have a lovely big porch D-Jan with a beautiful tree right outside. I feed the birds too and I well understand how you feel about it.
ReplyDeleteI smiled when I read about your material piece to block the light. I hate those lights. In Tennessee, we have one right outside our bedroom and we had to put a plastic curtain up at the window to make it dark inside. So annoying. I wanted to throw a brick at it but Larry didn't let me!
Blessings, Star
You have quite the Birdy Buffet! Wonderful! The birds in your area are really lucky! Hot Tub and all:)
ReplyDeleteVery cool! And what a coincidence that I just wrote about birds as well! :p
ReplyDeleteI've never set out feeders for birds (other than the parakeets I had as a kid), but never really lived anywhere where it was easy to see them either. But it can be quite fun to see them hopping about or resting out the window! :o)
I'm sure your birds are very grateful for the seeds!
You system looks like it works very well. I feed the birds year round here at the Ponderosa and have a vast variety. Heck, in the dead of winter I've been known to feed 50lbs of black oil sunflower seed in a week. I just love watchin' 'em.
ReplyDeleteGod bless and have a fun day!!!
What a great pic. The birds seem to love your feeding system. Nice view, too, Djan, snow and all!
ReplyDeleteI love that you care so much for your birds! My dad use to do that too!
ReplyDeleteYour porch is a great place for all these little birds. We have 4 feeders but they are in the yard and the squirrels always try to get to them. This morning the bird bath was frozen. We have a cement bird bath and it rarely gets frozen but it has been colder than usual. What type of heater do you use? We don’t need one often but I’d like to get one for times like now. By Friday we are supposed to be back in the 50s.
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