Appreciating All Seasons
Chloe and I stopped to watch the Bluebirds during a short break in the rain. They were busy hunting insects and being so twitterpated that they caught our attention.
I’ve been trying to be more observant of the nature around me, even in this season, which…true confession, is not my favorite season. I don’t really like the heat of summer. But, this intention to be more observant and look for the beautiful in this season as well, has really paid off.
I started by hanging my hummingbird feeder this spring. These little birds are so amazing to watch. By now, they are so comfortable around us and our pets, that they basically live in the roses around our porch now.
Can you spot the hummingbird above? This new feeder from Perky Pet is the best I have ever used. It is so easy to clean.
We enjoyed the hummingbirds so much that I decided to put up some seed feeders for songbirds. They found the food almost instantly, which surprised me. We have spotted House Finches, Red Cardinals and very briefly, Goldfinches at these feeders. I’m hoping we will see the Goldfinches more regularly in a couple of months, since that is when they typically build their nests and have their young. They wait for the thistles to have down on them which they use to build their nests.
House Finch
We used to have a lot of Bluebirds, but it just seems like we see less of them now. They are so beautiful that I wanted to attract them more to our property. Since, they prefer insects in the warm months, I decided to put in a birdbath with moving water. Apparently, moving water is key for Bluebirds. So far, I’ve not seen them use it, but they are hunting in our yard more it seems.
In the fall, Bluebirds rely on berries. I have plans to add a tray feeder for berries and a suet feeder which I’ve read they enjoy. Many people feed freeze-dried mealworms, but I understand that they have no nutritional content. Live ones do, but I’m thinking I’ll stick to the berries.
We have a Bluebird house to install. It can be cleaned out and is vented, which is important in our climate. Bluebirds have more than one clutch per season, so there is time for them to use it this year, if we get it installed soon.
Some of resources I’ve used are, http://www.audobon.org/news/how-build-bluebird-nest-box and my bird field guides by Audobon and Peterson.
This is a lovely video of a Bluebird in song, so you can learn to hear them.
It is truly amazing what you can learn and appreciate more when you are intentional to look for it all around you. It is another thing to be grateful for. Finding beauty in the everyday is another source of joy and delight.