Bird sanctuary in the midst of the city....

timer lady

Queen of Hearts
My parents, mostly my mom, have always loved feeding the birds. Over the past 20 years they have created an incredible bird sanctuary in their very rural back yard. The birds that show up in their yard are numerous. Sitting in their backyard has always been calming.

In my mom's honor, I've planted a lilac bush & am creating a bird sanctuary in my little urban backyard.

I found a beautiful hanging birdbath. Put in a ground feeder to keep the squirrels happy & out of the more expensive feeds for the cardinals & grosbeaks. Have put out suet for the woodpeckers & nuthatches. Niger seed for the finches.

I'm getting quite the collection of visitors to my backyard feeders.

All in all, I'm quite pleased with my little re-creation of my parent's wild bird paradise. It's pleasant to sit out on my patio & watch the birds come & go. husband, for the first time ever, is enjoying sitting out back & just relaxing.

:flower:
 

hearthope

New Member
Linda I just refilled all our feeders tonight. The most tranquil feeling in the world can be found on our patio watching and hearing the birds.

If you feed them they will come...and they bring lots of family with them.

I recently put hummingbird feeders in by our front windows, everytime they come to feed whoever happens to see them first runs to get everyone else to see them.

Traci
 

LittleDudesMom

Well-Known Member
Linda,

What a wonderful thing to do in honor of your mother. We are a bird lover family here as well (girlfriend especially - he has three birds of his own here in the house). Sadly, since we live in the city, even though we have a big yard, we can't do the feeder thing since we would attract well, you know.......

However, you actually get more birds with water than with food, especially in the hot summer early evenings. We have plants in the back yard that attract the humming birds, have three house finch families in our ferns, and love to sit on the back porch and watch the birds come in the afternoon and evening for a bath and a drink! They actually line up for their turn in a bush nearby!

Enjoy your bird watching.

Sharon
 
What a neat story!

I've never much cared for birds (I was attacked by a robin when I was a kid) but I love looking for the first cardinal of spring. I have, however, gotten a kick out of watching them this past month with the cicadas. This past week I've seen birds chase them through the air and try to catch them in mid flight. I always root for the birds. It's really cool when they catch them!
 

susiestar

Roll With It
How wonderful!

My parents have honeysuckle bushes that grow over the den picture window. They were there when we moved in when I was in jr high. The view into the birds and bees inside the bushes is just phenomenal. It is a neat thing to creat if you have a picture window you can plant things to grow over.

Over the years we have had the HUGE bumblebees, hummingibrds, sparrow families, and many assorted other birds there.

I am sure your mom is pleased with your sanctuary.

Hugs,

Susie
 

Wiped Out

Well-Known Member
Staff member
I'm sure your mom is looking down and smiling at your bird sanctuary. It sounds very peaceful and beautiful in your backyard. I'm glad husband is enjoying it too.

BBK-I was attacked by a bird when I was young too-a red winged blackbird.
 

donna723

Well-Known Member
Linda, what a wonderful thing to do and what a lovely remembrence and tribute to your mother! I'm sure you'll be thinking of her fondly whenever you're sitting out there watching the birds.
 

timer lady

Queen of Hearts
I know that this is a way for me to keep Mom alive - keep her celebrations, her traditions alive & pass them along to my children, nieces & nephews.

My dad, in turn, has taken up baking. Made his first batch of chocolate chip cookies & a peach kuchen last week. Dad told me that Mom always had fresh baked goods for anyone who entered her home & he will continue that tradition.

Thanks for listening to my rambling & such; it's a good way for me to keep Mom close to me. I miss her more than you know.
 

witzend

Well-Known Member
I love watching my birds. I keep a nice full birdbath at all times, and make sure to clean it once a week or so in summer. They really like to hear running water, so if you have a little fountain you will attract more birds than without.

I got the coolest hummingbird feeder that sticks onto my picture window so that they come right up and sit and feed. I keep a little jar of nectar in the fridge so that it won't go sour on them.

Test tube hummer feeder

It also keeps the other birds from getting confused and flying into it as often. It just breaks my heart to see them fly headfirst into the window!

 
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