Jeannie's Travel Addiction

SUMMER 2010 Bird Watching

I’m sure this will fit.

OK, off on a side note,  I  sunk into a no-travel dip after  June of  2010, so I had to find something  different  to occupy some free time.   Looking for simple, cheap (or I thought  would be cheap when I started) entertainment, I decided to feed and watch the birds in my back yard.   Easy to do on day one. Then on day two, the squirrels discovered the bird seed. So, what amateur tips can I pass on?  Trust me, you can try to outsmart a squirrel and waste a lot of time and bird seed, or you can just learn from my experience and go to  the Wild Bird Store ( St Louis, Mo)  and buy a squirrel-proof  feeder.  That’s where the “cheap” part of the entertainment ends. But the squirrel- proof feeders  do work.   Tip # 2:  In regards  to the sack that holds the finch food  -while the squirrels didn’t bother my finch food – I learned  that finch are finicky and they like their food sacks to be washed between usage.  Tip # 3 :  Baltimore Orioles in St. Louis?  Did they lose their way?  Evidently, they migrate through this region  during the month of May and if you hang an  oriole feed  ( looks like a hummingbird feeder only it’s orange with orange nectar) they will stop and  fill up their bellies. I had daily visitors for most of the month   Tip # 4:  Definitely get a wren house and you will be delighted with the spunk and song of these little birds.  Enough reading – please enjoy the  bird watching …..

Beautiful Goldfinch

Baltimore Oriole loves the color orange

and drinks the nectars also

What happened to this little guy’s back end?

Mystery Bird -Can anybody tell me what this is?

Watched this hawk snatch a vole in my yard!!! Yeah!

Hummingbirds always easy to attract.

Coming in for a closer look.