Thinking back on better days - I'm doing that a lot lately - remembering the times my parents and I would sit out on our porch watching as the different types of birds would feed at the various sorts of bird feeders we had put out for them. Sometimes it was early in the morning and other times, around dusk.
We had three or four hanging tube feeders for the Finches, Robins, Blue Jays, Wrens and the Cardinals. Then we put up a couple of hanging bell-shaped feeders from our evergreen trees for whatever bird wanted to stop by for a bite, which seemed to mostly be the Robins and Blue-Jays, but also, any other bird that would stop by and eat.
At one point my Father noticed a Woodpecker hanging about, so he went out and purchased a special wire bird feeder with suet, just for him (her?). That was the only one who ever came around, but still, he came by every once and awhile to visit and eat.
For a while we thought about putting down a ground feeder but decided against it for we were afraid that the many cats, squirrels and larger birds around us would harm the smaller birds.
Later in our backyard bird-watching years, Father decided he wanted to start luring Hummingbirds our way. As I'd never seen any, I thought it was a silly idea, but I didn't fuss. He bought a Hummingbird Feeder and hung it from our porch and lo and behold, those invisible Hummers started showing up! These became my favorites, as I loved to watch them hover and sometimes fly backwards. I have always thought that they are amazing little creatures.
We had a six foot high tree stump upon which four birdhouses sat. These were always occupied by one type of bird or another - an occasional Finch, Sparrow, Wren and even Swallow. It was a beautiful sight at nesting time, to watch them fly back and forth to their nest, feeding their babies.
After watching these backyard birds for awhile, I was able to learn something about their different bird habits. For instance, I saw that the Blue Jay and Robin will eat just about anything, while the Cardinal is very fussy about what it eats, and seems to only prefer certain berries, wild fruits and sunflower seeds.
When Father passed away, my bird-watching enthusiasm diminished over time. Between working and starting a family it seemed I did not have enough time for my bird watching. Gradually I have thought more and more about those days and the joy we shared and it seems to have engendered a renewed passion to take up this wonderful hobby again. I think to myself, "Why not? After all, I have a backyard, and grandchildren with whom to share this passion. Yes, why not?"
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Rose Puff, President of RMP Ventures, LLC
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