This one is for the bird watchers!

Nice video Debby, my cat was going nuts with that bird chirping in the house, he kept looking up at the walls and ceiling for it. I sat him on my lap and put it on full screen so he could see it was on the computer, but he wasn't interested in looking at the monitor. :p Birds in my yard like Robins often pull up an earthworm or two when I'm out working in the yard, but not so close and trusting like that.
 

To you bird people:
I'm disabled and my back yard is surrounded by State game lands, so there's no houses. So my view is just acres of grass and woods. I thought about getting a bird book. All I ever see is some blue birds, a robin, a few turkeys, and some crows. For 17 years of looking out at my back yard, I've noticed just those few birds, so how come I've never seen a Red Breasted, Short billed, Flinglehoffer, or whatever.
 
I've never seen a bird come up so close to a human before. That is amazing! He sure got his fill of worms. My bird is chirping at the bird on the screen now! lol
 
fuzzybuddy said:
To you bird people:
I'm disabled and my back yard is surrounded by State game lands, so there's no houses. So my view is just acres of grass and woods. I thought about getting a bird book. All I ever see is some blue birds, a robin, a few turkeys, and some crows. For 17 years of looking out at my back yard, I've noticed just those few birds, so how come I've never seen a Red Breasted, Short billed, Flinglehoffer, or whatever.
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I think birds don't like to hang around lawns much and need the brush and wild hedgerows to feel safe. At least for the songbirds that we hear but rarely see.

We built a house on an acreage, that we had to clear of lots of trees and undergrowth and the first year, there were birds everywhere! Cedar waxwings, mourning doves, beautiful blue jays that looked like stained glass, goldfinches! But each year, there were fewer around the house and the last year we lived there, it was the robins coming for worms on the lawn and hummingbirds around the flower beds. But all the others had retreated to where there was still underbrush still. I guess that first year had so many because they had been born there the year before and hadn't adjusted their territories yet.

;)I figured you'd enjoy that one! I smiled the whole way through it too so I'm glad you enjoyed it!
 
Debby said:
I think birds don't like to hang around lawns much and need the brush and wild hedgerows to feel safe. At least for the songbirds that we hear but rarely see.

We built a house on an acreage, that we had to clear of lots of trees and undergrowth and the first year, there were birds everywhere! Cedar waxwings, mourning doves, beautiful blue jays that looked like stained glass, goldfinches! But each year, there were fewer around the house and the last year we lived there, it was the robins coming for worms on the lawn and hummingbirds around the flower beds. But all the others had retreated to where there was still underbrush still. I guess that first year had so many because they had been born there the year before and hadn't adjusted their territories yet.

;)I figured you'd enjoy that one! I smiled the whole way through it too so I'm glad you enjoyed it!
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I'm thinking that birds are usually drawn to and more visible in areas where they are finding something to eat. You changed that and once they realized that they went elsewhere.
 
I'm disabled and sit most of the day. My back yard is grass, but I am surrounded by brush and pine trees. It's state game lands, which goes for miles. I don't see birds flitting around the brush. Bird feeders are out due bears. All kinds of wild life have come walking out of the woods, but birds stay away.
 
If you want birds, you need to make your backyard bird-friendly. Our friend has put up many houses, and feeders, and has planted lots of flowering shrubs. She's got feeders and a bird bath with a bubbler in it. Her backyard has lots of birds. We have several feeders, and a bird bath, and we get a small variety of birds. If you are disabled, then I can see how it would be difficult to get out and refill a feeder. Perhaps someone you know could help.

Last year I put up a suction cup window feeder on our living room window. I wasn't getting any takers until I filled half of it with meal worms. Now I get loads of wrens flitting in and out. The other half is finch food, and I see them too. But mostly wrens.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
I'm disabled and sit most of the day. My back yard is grass, but I am surrounded by brush and pine trees. It's state game lands, which goes for miles. I don't see birds flitting around the brush. Bird feeders are out due bears. All kinds of wild life have come walking out of the woods, but birds stay away.
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In order to draw birds in, you need a source of food, water, and trees, and with any luck, no cats or other animals around to spook them. Once it's established that your place is a food source and is safe, you'll see all sorts of birds coming to visit. :)
 
It's beautiful!

The only ones I ever saw were the speckled kind and one large different one... I can't remember the names, altho' I used to use my bird guide and write down the names.

Hah, I found it- now I remember;
Yellow-bellied_Sapsucker_15.jpg
 
CarolfromTX said:
If you want birds, you need to make your backyard bird-friendly. Our friend has put up many houses, and feeders, and has planted lots of flowering shrubs. She's got feeders and a bird bath with a bubbler in it. Her backyard has lots of birds. We have several feeders, and a bird bath, and we get a small variety of birds. If you are disabled, then I can see how it would be difficult to get out and refill a feeder. Perhaps someone you know could help.

Last year I put up a suction cup window feeder on our living room window. I wasn't getting any takers until I filled half of it with meal worms. Now I get loads of wrens flitting in and out. The other half is finch food, and I see them too. But mostly wrens.
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That has been my effort since moving here 7 years ago and did all the things that you suggested. I'm now overrun with butterfly bushes, rose of Sharon, milkweed for Monarchs, and some beautiful, seed-rich perilla that spread over the 1/2 acre in just two years. (The milkweed, with its wonderful smelling flowers, turned out to be highly invasive, too.)

With all that, I only see a small but nice assortment of birds. This red headed woodpecker is the first that I have seen since my youth! I see couples now - bluejays, robins, gold finches, sparrows, and wrens. I do see hawks and crows, but they don't hang out much. I get more butterflies than birds and sometimes wonder if the bird population is down in general. Or, it could be the competition/fear of hawks, crows, chipmunks, and squirrels. Regardless, I enjoy them all! (-:
 
Aunt Marg said:
In order to draw birds in, you need a source of food, water, and trees, and with any luck, no cats or other animals around to spook them. Once it's established that your place is a food source and is safe, you'll see all sorts of birds coming to visit. :)
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OH Marg - I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier... We have feral cats and coyotes... No wonder I see less birds!
 
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