Tag Archives: Birds

March

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The winds howled last night while the March Peepers sang their little hearts out. Daffodils have broken through the ground, yellow tips ready to break out into bud soon. Birds gather round the feeder, badly in need of some good meals to help them through the winter. It has been warm but there’s snow in the forecast and a chill in the air again.

That’s March in Ohio for you. Change is always on the horizon so don’t get too comfortable in whatever combination of heavy coat/shorts, boots/ flip flops/hoodie you chose for today.

It will change.

Now that Spring is near, we can revisit the old saying: March winds and April showers bring May flowers.

And for today, we won’t discuss the grass and weeds that will soon follow all those pretty spring blooms!

Happy Day, friends!

Bird Watching Cat

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I rearranged the furniture in my home office, replacing my work space at the window with a bird viewing station for my coworker Scout. That’s an old steamer trunk from my grandparents’ basement that I have lugged around my house for years. It’s the perfect height for Scout to view his feathered friends from a safe distance and behind glass.

He nearly wore himself out yesterday as the cardinals and several other birds swooped in and dive bombed all day. He sleeps better when the birds wear him out so I encourage his participation in their mealtime.

I appreciate his verve for life and his devotion to his work overseeing his friends at the feeder. It’s a tough job but someone has to do it!

Gratitude Is For The Birds

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Backyard bird feeders have become a favorite small investment in my surroundings. Feeding the birds serves the very practical purpose of helping out our feathered friends with a meal here and there. Whether it be non migratory birds with limited food sources in the winter or the migratory ones that arrive hungry and tired in early spring, they all are hungry. 

I bought Scout a bird feeder for his first birthday back in 2020, just before the start of the pandemic. It hangs outside my home office window where he studies the activity like must see tv and where I also can sometimes catch a glimpse of them coming and going.

Since then I have added two more that are visible from other windows and that are a little quicker to access on a cold winter morning. Most years I take a break from feeding in the summer but I’m rethinking that this year. 

Living in the country, my yard is ringed by trees. There are shrubs, flowers and weeds to provide habitat and food sources and I always thought that was enough. However, the bird population does naturally drop off when the feeders go away and I selfishly want to keep them hanging around.

I stepped outside yesterday morning, bird seed in hand, and discovered the yard was alive with the sound of music. Julie Andrews has nothing on me. There was a cacophony of birdsong from all around. When I looked closely, the yard was full of  birds of many colors expressing their gratitude for the meal they were about to receive. 

I drank it all in and decided it’s worth the extra effort to keep this going as long as possible. 

Life is hard for the wild creatures of this world. From the small wasp we kill (despite their role eating flies and ticks) to the deer and squirrels that hunters slaughter, there is risk at every turn. If I can plant a few things and ignore some weeds here and there to assist the pollinators, that’s a small but mighty way to help out. Dropping a little food in the feeders is another. 

I wish there was a photo to support what I witnessed yesterday but it’s only imprinted on my brain. Trust me. It was extraordinary. 

If you want to celebrate the small things in this life, start with a bag of birdseed and a little feeder outside your window. It’s one of the best investments you can make.

Flying Jewels

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Hummingbirds have been active in my yard for the last few weeks and several are coming to the flower pots on my front porch.

They can beat their wings thousands of times per minute so it’s no wonder I failed to get a clear picture of this little guy before he zoomed off. While it’s not a good picture, I kind of like the sense of motion.

They were nicknamed “flying jewels” by Spanish explorers visiting the Americas for the first time. This is the best possible name I can imagine for these tiny but majestic creatures.

Hummingbirds actually prefer to get their nectar from flowers instead of feeders. If you do feed them, be sure to clean their feeders daily and never use dyes. It’s a myth that the red attracts them better. What they crave is the sweetness.

Better yet, plant some flowers and shrubs that will also feed butterflies and bees. I read once that hummingbirds can visit around a thousand flowers a day so I’m sure they will appreciate whatever contribution you can make!

They are a migratory bird so they’ll be departing soon but I’ll enjoy them while they’re still here.

Self Care At Its Finest

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Monday, 9:06 p.m.

My workday is complete, dinner dishes are washed and I’m lounging in a hammock on the screened porch. My parents gave me this hammock, a long ago Fathers Day gift that my dad never used.

It was in their way but it now holds a prominent position on my back porch. I just set it up over the Independence Day weekend and it has quickly become my new favorite hangout. From here, I can see trees and a slice of sky. From here, the birds and crickets, katydids and frogs are my only companions during many hours of the day.

After work tonight, I braved the heat to relax and read a magazine until I drifted off to sleep. It was hot but something about this hammock relaxes me and alleviates muscle pain. A short nap was exactly what I needed on this very long Monday.

That break was necessary and nice but not nearly as pleasant as this midsummer evening.

The air has cooled and the humidity has dissipated, almost like magic. A light breeze causes the treetops to sway and produces a gentle sound amongst the leaves. The shorts and tank top that were appropriate just minutes ago suddenly seem inadequate.

At 9:15 pm on July 11, it’s still light out but not light enough to continue reading my book. I do have white twinkle lights hung along the ceiling but getting up to turn them on would ruin the mood. Besides, the lightning bugs are just gearing up for their evening show and I hate to detract from their efforts.

I sit now in near darkness, except of course, for the light of my phone. An opossum just silently scurried past the porch. He paid me no mind but I wished him well. They eat ticks, small rodents and even prey on snakes. They are so ugly they’re cute and I welcome this night shift worker into my yard to help maintain my peaceful little habitat.

The birds are mostly quiet now, replaced by the gentle hum of locusts and occasional call of a distant Great Horned Owl. In the darkness, I can better appreciate the aromas of pine and soil and some kind of decaying wood.

Yes. This is my happy place and I am grateful for it.

As long as I’m expressing gratitude, I am grateful that these simple pleasures are even more luxurious to me than a day at the spa. This, my friends, is self care at its finest.

Metahqua Nature Preserve

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They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Unfortunately, this picture doesn’t do justice to this incredible scene in my new happy place. It’s called Metahqua Nature Preserve and it’s part of the Ross County Park District near Chillicothe, Ohio.

At more than 230 acres of hardwood, wetland and tall grass fields in the flood plain of Little Walnut Creek, it is peaceful and beautiful. A century old one room schoolhouse has been smartly converted to a quaint caretaker’s residence.

The happy place that I refer to is a pond high atop a hill. It’s surrounded by trees which, I’m told, provide a breathtaking setting in the fall. Dusk was approaching but those trees reflected into the water a scene so serene that it was almost mesmerizing. The call of frogs and various birds made it even better.

I was there with a kindred spirit, the man responsible for a sandstone patio with two benches to sit and enjoy the view. He said that if he accomplishes nothing else in his lifetime, knowing that this place exists, because he made it happen, is enough.

I felt that to my soul as I sat there absorbed in my surroundings and enjoying the beauty of that waning day. My heart rate went down and my mind was completely calm.

I was at peace.

Spending time in nature is good for your health. Getting outdoors and moving is good for your body but sometimes I think the mental health benefits are far greater. There’s nothing better than fresh air, bird song and the peace that comes from simply existing amongst beauty.

I hope to return another time and especially would love to see that fall foliage someday. Want to learn more? Visit their website to learn the Shawnee meaning of Metahqua, learn about the wildlife, find directions and more.