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Converted from paper version of the Broad Ripple Gazette (v15n02)
Right in my Own Backyard - REFLECTION - by Brandt Carter
posted: Jan. 19, 2018

Right in my Own Backyard header

REFLECTION*

The 2017-18 holiday season was quite different for us. We traveled and escaped all the pre-holiday madness. No tree decorating, no shopping, and few parties. We arrived just in time to celebrate a very quiet Christmas and then, the thermometer dived. Those weeks after the merriest day of the year were frigid and encouraged hibernation.
I did just that. I spent hours having coffee and doing no projects. I just reflected on my trip and enjoyed the photos I had taken. Also to fill those long cold days were the distractions out my window. My backyard gave me the activity I needed to avoid the feeling of cabin fever!
This was the first cold snap of 2017 and even the store felt the change. When it is bitter cold outside and especially blanketed with snow, the birds want and need to visit the feeders you have. We had a steady stream of wonderful birds, and the store sold record amounts of seed and suet.
One morning, I decided to make a list of the birds that came to my feeders which included: a tube feeder filled with a birdseed mix, a pole feeder filled with sunflower seed, a hut-like feeder filled with shelled peanuts, a suet feeder, and a trough with a mix of table scraps and peanuts. This buffet was enough to create a steady stream of birds beginning with the cardinals who like to dine first thing in the morning and early evening. So here is my list for just one morning:
  • Downey woodpecker
  • Titmouse
  • Junco
  • Chickadee
  • Hairy woodpecker
  • Cardinals
  • Sparrow
  • Goldfinch
  • Red bellied woodpecker
  • House Finch
  • Starling
  • Mourning Dove
  • Northern Flicker
  • Carolina Wren
  • Blue Jay
It is the Blue Jays that intrigued me. The jays are rarely around. I probably had only one or two sightings this summer. They must be lurking high in the trees, because the minute you put out peanuts (especially in the shell), they appear. These birds are so handsome, though some folks think they are a nuisance. I love seeing their brilliant blue with white and black markings show up at the feeders. We had three wrestle the peanuts and come back for more until they depleted the stash. Then, they disappeared again.
These creatures entertain me. Their flight, picking the seeds, cracking the kernels, and then winging away are a source of wonder and enjoyment. From my window I can observe their eating habits: the mourning doves and juncos like to eat the millet on the ground, the blue jays like to carry their peanuts away and sometime as many as three or four stuffed in their beaks, the cardinals dine early and late, the sparrows and house finches gorge and rarely leave a feeder. On those below zero, bitter cold days, I could see the steam coming off the birds while they sat on the perches.
Since I couldn't give the birds any help with heating up the outdoors, I could offer them multiple feeding stations and a heated birdbath to get them through the extremes. They all have different habits and having a birdfeeder lets you become a home scientist− identifying and observing. Join in and feed the birds. You will also find hours of pleasure.
*Just a note: Since my column editors house-sat for us, they understand now why I write about birds in my backyard. Our master bedroom has two ten-foot picture windows with feeders hanging in each one. Our guilty pleasure is lying in bed, drinking coffee, and watching the early morning bird feeding. They did too.



Brandt Carter, artist, herbalist, and naturalist, owns Backyard Birds at 2374 E. 54th Street. Visit her web site www.feedbackyardbirds.com. Email your bird questions to Brandt@BroadRippleGazette.com




brandt@broadripplegazette.com
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