Mama Kat Thursday: This Weeks Smile

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The Mama Kat prompt for this week is: "Something that made you smile this week."

Finally, today I smiled with satisfaction.
In late 2013,with a starry-eyed visions of enjoying feathery visitors, I bought an Audubon-rated squirrel proof bird-feeder to hang in my yard. Only smaller birds, like finches, sparrows and wrens can access it.
In the early spring of 2013, I filled the feeder with thistle seed, that is allegedly supposed to allure finches & chickadees.
I was quickly disappointed. It didn't attract the business I'd hoped.
In fact, I ended up taking it down within a couple months because I'd hung it on a hook attached to a pine tree, which made it accessible to a baby squirrel small enough to slide through the grill.
So much for that. I'm not interested in feeding nuisance squirrels.
Then later in the fall, we purchased a nice tall shepherd hook to hang the feeder on, which I placed away from the trees,  yet in a spot still easily visible through the back sliding glass door.
Still, it only had thistle seed, which apparently isn't of much interest to anyone other then a Chickadee or two.
Fast forward to Febuary 2014.
 I bought a bag of regular wild bird seed mix, stirred in some of that thistle seed (so it won't go to waste) in a measauring cup, poured it into the feeder, then sat back to see if that might work.
It did. 
It took a couple days for word to spread among local birds that a new restaurant was open, but I'm pleased to say, today, I saw the visitors I'd been hoping for: Goldfinches in their winter color, rosy House Sparrows, cute brown Carolina wrens and tiny Carolina Chickadees all visiting my feeder.
I couldn't help but smile.

House Sparrow
American Goldfinch in winter drab

Carolina Wren
Carolina Chickadee




 



(P.S.: I put popcorn out on the ground for the Cardinals, Jays, Doves and Mockingbirds!)
Thanks for visiting!

Comments

Jerralea said…
Glad you figured out what works. Love the photos you shared. Birds make me think of spring so I'm doubly delighted to see them today!
Feb 20, 2014, 3:29:00 PM
KatBouska said…
It worked! I set up little bird feeders last year and was so excited when I saw them actually take notice of it and they DO spread the word! Before I knew I had quite a few regulars!
Feb 23, 2014, 3:00:00 PM

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