The last few years we’ve created a little hummingbird oasis in the backyard by planting salvias and putting in a feeder to entice them into our yard and now if I’m sitting out there for any length of time, one or two always seem to come to visit. Recently, John added a bird seed feeder of which approximately 90% appears to feed the squirrels that have managed to figure out how to get to it, but the remaining seed and the seed they scatter on the ground with their antics has brought some songbirds to the yard too. I know literally nothing about birds and it is one of those things I find myself wanting to get more curious about. I want to feel more rooted to the natural world around me, rather than always passing through in a fog of my own stress and inner dramas. My default has always been to be very inwardly focused and I think I’m almost weary of it now.
A pair of what I was calling “speckled browns” have been visiting us, and this morning I was able to snap a few pictures and do approximately eight seconds of googling to find that they are a Swainson thrush. They have the loveliest song. There is a giant fir in the neighbors yard that is full of all kinds of birds, but now that I know what to listen for, I can pick out these gentle, happy thrush songs.
It’s nice.
Fluff and Stuff 
This sounds amazingly peaceful. My brother just told me about an app you might like. You can use to identify birds by photo or sound. It’s called Merlin Bird ID.
LikeLike
Thank you – I’ll look for that. I’ve got my AARP tote bag, so I guess a bird app is the next logical step. 🙂
LikeLike
Hello sister-in-law!! I just read your latest blog post and couldn’t contain my need to bond with you over backyard birds. We (Joe and I) actually started with feeding the squirrels and crows on the front porch. Then I got him a bird feeding station for the backyard. Now we have more feeders. I’d hoped we could sit in our freezing windy backyard (with the camping blanket I bought, dang it!) and admire them, but Joe insists that it is too disruptive to them and so we admire them from the upstairs window instead. Attached are pictures of our current bird-feeding situation (and squirrel feeder on the back fence). OH there really is a reason for me rambling on about all this (besides wanting to gush about backyard birds with you), and that is that the thing on our feeders that looks like a bird poop-covered skirt is called a “squirrel baffle,” and keeps them from getting to the seeds and suet.
That is all. I hope you are well. ?
Ami ________________________________
LikeLike
Hello fellow backyard naturalist! When you come visit you can sit in our back yard and admire our squirrel/ bird feeder with us! I have seen those squirrel deterrents – unfortunately ours is hanging from the garage roof so they just hop on from above. I’m sure we could figure something out but so far they aren’t being super greedy pigs about it and there is plenty of seed still for the birds!
LikeLike