Birds of a Feather

I was experimenting with bird feeders the other day. I was worried that my simple platform on top of a tripod would be too basic for birds to come. I remember taking the time to set it up and get it organized. Then when I had the platform secured, I poured a bunch of old birdseed on top.

I positioned the platform where I could see it from my chair in my office ... about 10 feet away through the window. I waited ... finally my first bird was seen! I was so excited that I was able to feed them!

Now ... I have the bug. My brother was cleaning out an old trailer and found 2 more feeders plus a hummingbird feeder. I cleaned them up and invested about $10 in a 50 lb sack of generic birdseed. Now, I have 3 feeders going with the birdseed and one filled with sugar water for the hummingbirds.

Still not a hummingbird in sight ... but the other feeders have been pretty active with both Blue Jays and little tiny birds that I'm assuming are a type of Sparrow. Also a rough looking Robin group passed through earlier in the Summer.

I'm thinking that the Sparrows are a family that were living at the other end of my office apartment ... a set of parents and 3 babies. They are definitely hanging out at the barn feeder I have. I'm not sure if they are storing away the food for the winter ... they would at first come, grab something and leave right away ... but now they are literally just hanging out! And when they eat, they are knocking lots of feed out in all directions. It should be interesting to see what grows on the ground next year!

Warmest Regards!


Chef Tom Heintz