Wednesday, May 1, 2019

Black headed grosbeak

Left:  Female Black-headed Grosbeak      Right:  Male Black-headed Grosbeak
I just love birds.  So, it would only make sense that I would put up a feeder.  But that whole thing seems a little anemic.  If I wanted to attract birds, I should be able to do a lot more than just hanging a feeder in some random location.  That's why I have my bird garden.

My bird garden, for lack of a better term, is simply an area where birds will find food, shelter, water, and nesting opportunity.  I have an arbor made of 2x4 posts and 1x4 cross beams that hold my bird feeders and two nest boxes.  I have grapes growing up one post and honeysuckle up the other one.  I planted holy in behind - in the spring hungry birds will come and eat the berries.  I have hostas growing in front of them, blueberries, and a patch of salal.  There are food and shelter offered by these plants.

I use sunflower seeds in my two big feeders; many birds will eagerly take them.  I have a smaller feeder that I use for niger seed.  That is a favourite of goldfinches and a number of other species.  All feeders are squirrel-proof to keep the little fuzzy beasts from cleaning out the hoppers.  I have had rats which take seeds that have fallen below, but they were nothing a standard rat trap couldn't handle.  The big concern, literally, are bears, as one could easily destroy my fence and take out everything in only a couple of seconds.  So far though, I have been lucky as no bear has bothered to come for a visit.

I put up suet feeders as well.  The fat in them helps birds overwinter better because of the amount of energy it provides.  Woodpeckers, bushtits, and chickadees are fond of it.  There is also a hummingbird feeder which I fill from time to time, although they are mostly interested in the honeysuckle flowers covering my deck arbor. 

The birds above are black-headed grosbeaks.  A strange name to be sure; the grosbeak term comes from their very thick bills which can crack just about any seed or nut they come across.  They appear occasionally.  I hear them far more often than I see them; their trill echos throughout the nearby wooded areas.  The male is probably the most colourful bird that comes calling, although a male rufous hummingbird will give him a run for his money.

I have seen about 20 species of bird come to my feeders.  They include various sparrows, siskin, bushtits, several blackbird species, hummers, chickadees, robin, and tree swallows; admittedly the last ones were only interested in my birdhouses though.  I have a pair of chickadees using one of my birdhouses this year.  Last year a raccoon got into one and took the chicks.  I made it much harder to access this year.

I am looking forward to another year of back yard birding.  And the great thing is, I can do it in the comfort of my own home.

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