Feed them and they will come . . .

Beautiful Blue Jay, summer 2011

Downy Woodpecker, summer 2011

I want to see these beautiful birds in my yard again already, instead of just hearing them close by.  I guess that means it's time to fill the bird feeders.  Fortunately, there was a great sale on bird seed this week, and I picked up 40 lbs.  That should last about a week, maybe two.  Guess it's time to start making the homemade suet that REALLY draws the birds in!

I pulled out 3 feeders and filled them tonight.

One afternoon when I was a little frustrated by  the rain getting to the seed and spoiling it, I added an  umbrella!

However, during one of the several  storms we've had, the wind picked up the umbrella
(which was duct taped to the feeder), the top 1/3 of the feeder pole, AND
both feeders, carrying them a few yards.  Umbrella was trashed.  End of experiment!

This feeder is GREAT at foiling the squirrels.  Now if it were only larger and
didn't have to be filled quite so often.

This feeder was new at the end of last summer.  My neighborhood
squirrels are smart enough that they figured how to open the
lid.  I saw one sitting inside of an empty feeder one day
(and unfortunately no camera handy!!)  Duck Brand duct tape
to the rescue!  They have not figured out how to get past it.
Last year I used yellow, this year is orange (for some reason it
photographed yellow in this shot).

My neon orange duct tape!!

Tomorrow I'll be pulling out the hummingbird feeders, giving them a good cleaning, then filling them in anticipation of my first sighting!  Last year was the first year I'd seen regular visitors to the feeders, so I keep learning more and more tricks to attract them.  I put out nesting materials for them, too . . . hopefully that will have them nesting closer as well.

Although the squirrels irritate me with their constant attempts (and too many successes) at devouring the bird seed, they are cute little buggers, and quite imaginative!  Think I might have to blog about them and their antics soon . . .

I'm anxious to sit outside again and listen to the birds chirping away while they're at the feeders or in the trees nearby, and watching the squirrels performing for me.  It's my own little concert and gymnastics meet in my little backyard!  It's a great stress reliever to be out there listening and watching the critters.  Since I planted more hummingbird and butterfly attractant plants last year, I really hope to be able to get more butterfly pictures, and improve on the hummingbird pictures.  Love the ones I got last year, but it makes me want to get even better ones!

Such diversity and beauty visiting me on my small plot of backyard.  Love it, and am looking forward to sharing it all with you.