Since many of the posts in this blog will focus on birds in my backyard, I thought that I should take a little time to familiarize you with my set-up. It has changed many times since my first bird pole was pushed into the soil in the spring of 2016, but the essence has remained.

Our yard is lined with trees on both the left and right, but we have an open rectangular plot of “grass” which you will notice as I post more and more photos is more like weeds in the sandy soil. My first bird-related feature was a feeder pole with two seed feeders. I have since added several houses, a bird bath and specialized feeders (finch and suet). Basically, I pander to my feathered friends in any way possible to get them to visit my yard, and I am not embarrassed to admit it! The most recent change is that as of Spring 2019 I have a new pole, which has four hooks. The extra hooks are great, but the four pronged support system is what makes this pole superior. Birds may be light as a feather, but bird seed isn’t and neither are some of the more heavy duty feeders. After a few years, my original pole began listing to one side from all the weight.

I have had several feeder fatalities in three years thanks to the squirrels who like to keep me on my toes. They are the primary reason why my favorite feeder, a wooden feeder with ledges and a suet section, is currently in my basement.