Tag Archives: bird feeders

Day 27: Beauty in a broken world

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You may have noticed a lack of songbirds in my posts this month. I’m not sure why that happened, as our feeders continue to bring joy and delight as songbirds visit. We haven’t noticed any new migrating visitors for spring yet, but here’s a Tufted Titmouse that wintered with us.

A Tufted Titmouse waits its turn at the feeder.

Birding has seen renewed interest during the pandemic, likely because birdwatching offers a respite from Zoom calls and staring at the same four walls all day, and helps us see beauty even in these difficult days. Have you been watching birds from your home more often than before?

Join me in the hunt for beauty?
Where do you see beauty in a broken world? There’s still time to add your own images during what’s left in the 31-day journey. Please feel free to comment below with your Instagram handle, and tag your Insta posts with #beautyinabrokenworld. You’ll find me there @pixofhope.

Our nearest neighbors

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My husband and I have had bird feeders up since winter, but right now feels like an especially magical time for watching birds. Spring migration and nesting have brought new birds to our backyard, and in the last few weeks, hummingbirds have returned.

Before I share a few photos with you of our nearest neighbors these days, I wanted to alert you to an important birding day coming up this Saturday, May 9: Global Big Day. On Global Big Day, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology has asked all of us across the globe to spend a little time bird watching and reporting.

If you can spare even a few minutes—either staring out your window or walking around somewhere outside—the lab would like for you to report what birds you see and hear. Their site also provides wonderful resources to help you identify birds, in case you’re not exactly sure what you’re seeing.

Now for some birds! Continue reading →

Welcome backyard guests

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My husband set up backyard bird feeders this winter, and we’ve had a steady stream of gray birds: juncos, chickadees, titmice, nuthatches. While I’m happy to see them visit the feeders, I’ve been missing the splash of red of cardinals.

Finally, on a miserable winter’s day, I glanced outside and saw that yearned-for color.

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A male cardinal waiting near the feeder

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She braces in the wind and snow.

Our feeder isn’t ideal for cardinals. I hadn’t realized the perch arms were too short for them. But every so often now, the cardinals pay us a visit. Because the juncos and nuthatches spit out other seeds looking for their favorites, the cardinals don’t leave hungry.

I’ll have to add another feeder, though, as I want these favorite winter guests to feel welcome.

What winter guests do you long to welcome to your home?

The birds of the air

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My husband and I spent a few precious days at our home away from home in the mountains this past weekend. Life grows stiller there for us, and we come back home rejuvenated for the tasks that lie ahead.

During this past trip, I called my mom, and she asked in a quiet, hopeful voice, “Have you seen any hummingbirds yet?”

A few weeks back, one hummingbird buzzed by the house, hoping for the feeder of sugar water because the cold, wet spring had made the flowers shy to bloom. It had been a miserably wet weekend, and though I hadn’t yet put out the hummingbird feeder, thinking it too early for them to have come back for the season, we had put seed out for other birds. And they came in droves to show off their finery and eat their fill.

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A male rose-breasted grosbeak enjoys a meal in the pouring rain.

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Posing for the camera?

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