If You Build It They Will Come

I have been rather disappointed with the lack of birds out here on the farm. Actually, I am rather happy about the lack of Grackles and Sparrows. Those birds were the bane of my existence back in Delisle. They were known to empty out a feeder in a day!

This past summer we had Goldfinches by the dozens and Hummingbirds galore. That was extraordinary, watching a hummingbird try to spear another at the feeder. We had little else. The usual suspects who don't eat from feeders were around too. Robins, Magpies (eeeww) and Ravens.
What I missed were the songbirds.

 

 

The finches left in November and there is still a pair of Robins flying around but little else. Until... I moved the feeders from out in the open to a stand of Saskatoon bushes. Now my feeders are the place to be!  White-breasted Nuthatches, Chickadees and several species of Woodpeckers all come daily. The Cedar Waxwings are doing a fantastic job of clearing off the old chokecherries and saskatoons, making ready for the new crops to come.

 

The birds are also just loving the deer bones. Who would have thought? They chip off tiny bits of meat that the dogs teeth can't get to and then they go for the marrow. Very interesting how nature takes care of itself.  Nothing is wasted.

 

 

I look forward to the spring when the birds return from their winter homes. Until then, I will fill feeders and enjoy the antics of those who remained behind. And soon, very soon, the Great Horned Owls enter their mating season and I will be once again serenaded by their haunting calls.
Oh bird watching, I love you. Wonder when I became such a geek?