Feeding the Birds

I was never much of a bird watcher until I got married. I never had a birdhouse or birdfeeder, and only occasionally watched a bird fly. My husband was one of those who participated in the annual bird count, and whenever we went out he would point to a bird and tell me the species, and if it was indigenous to our area. At first it was a yawn for me, and I was thinking “What a geek,” but soon I started to pay attention, and it was not too much later that we started amassing birdfeeders around our doors and windows, and in the trees.

I knew that some birds fly south for the winter, but what is more interesting are the ones who stay, and how they survived in our cold, Michigan winter climate.

I particularly liked to watch the cardinals and the finches. With the distinctive bright colors of the male birds, and the evolution that takes place before they reach maturity, it's an interesting metamorphosis. When they started coming to our feeders and birdhouses I learned to distinguish between the male and females, and sometimes could tell them apart. They had interesting dynamics within their families, some had tempers, and some were just as curious about us as we were about them.

We have followed one cardinal family through generations in our back yard. The original pair were the most memorable, and I believe the female was actually more beautiful than the male - with her reddish brown feathers and bright orange beak. The second year they started to bring their young to feed at our feeders, and soon we lost sight of the older ones as the next generation began bringing their young. I often wonder whatever happened to the first pair we took to heart.

The finches here are mostly yellow. They are bright yellow during the summer, and turn a dull brown when it gets colder. The females (as in most bird families) are not so brilliantly colored and do not stand out as much. I was extremely excited to see a female red finch come to the feeder outside my window. I had never seen a red finch before. This one must have been lost. I never saw another red finch around, and soon she disappeared as well.

I wonder if birds discriminate? I never saw a yellow finch feed at the same time as the red finch – although I have seen finches and cardinals, wrens and other birds feed from the same feeder.

If you really want to enjoy nature, put up a birdfeeder, birdhouse or birdbath and place it outside the windows where you normally sit. You will then understand that bird watching is not a “geek” hobby, but actually a study in society of other species. What an education!