For the Love of Birds

Song Sparrow hanging out on the fence

I think I have always had a fascination with birds. Their song, their fragile beauty, the feeling when one whooshes past you a little close. About a decade ago, right around the time we moved to Vashon Island, I truly got into birding. There were so many birds living around our house by the water. In fact, that first spring after we had moved to the island, we had to enlist the aid of a white noise machine in order to sleep in because there were so many birds chirping at dawn. 

Four Goldfinches, two Song Sparrows and a female Cardinal

The Merlin Bird Finder app was my gateway, but living outside the city for the first time in years brought so many opportunities to see and hear birds that I started to seek them out. Birding and photography are also great companion hobbies. I don’t have the proper birding lenses but I still enjoy the challenge of capturing their beauty. 

A male Harry Woodpecker

Now that we are living on a larger parcel in rural Maine, we are visited daily by all kinds of birds. The Chickadees even stay all winter, so I keep the feeder stocked for them to get a bite to eat. I did not mean to imply that I have just one feeder, because of course I have several around the property. More feeders equals more birds! Who would have thought that in my 50’s watching birds would have replaced the shoe habit I had in my 30’s.  

Anna Hummingbird in the PNW

Then there are the hummingbirds. My absolute favorite thing to hear is the whirring of their wings and their rhythmic clickity chirp. When I hear one – even if I can’t see it yet – I hold my breath and wait. The hummingbirds on the island were mostly the type known as Anna with their pinkish purple iridescent neck feathers. Sometimes around dusk there would be several of them drinking nectar and it was my favorite way to end the day. 

Red Winged Black Bird hanging out in the apple tree

According to Hummingbird Central, we can expect to see the first hummingbirds of the year arrive around the 3rd week of April here in Central Maine. To make your own nectar and attract hummingbirds into your world, I suggest a 4 to 1 ratio of water to regular sugar that should be simmered to combine, then cooled before filling up your feeder.