For the birds

Our neighbors, Rich and Peggy, are bird aficionados and gave us a bird feeder for Christmas. Tom mumbled and grumbled about it, but once it was up, he became intrigued and bought more stuff. So the bird feeder sits atop a post outside the dining room window with another feeder hanging on one side, suet blocks nailed to the post and a couple of stuffed seed socks to attract finches.

I got a book on Wisconsin birds and we have begun keeping track of our visitors. So far we have seen a brown-headed cowbird ("A dime a dozen," Peggy sniffed), downy woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, red-bellied woodpeckers, pileated woodpecker (big excitement!), blue jays, cardinals, juncos (passsing through -- there were tons and now they have disappeared), fox sparrows, doves, goldfinches, chickadees, nuthatches and the occasional tufted titmouse. We also have wild turkeys and crows around, but they don't bother the feeder, of course. We have seen sandcranes and herons down at the pond, tons of redwing blackbirds along the fences on Berry Road and hawks and buzzards circling.

Yesterday Peggy and Rich brought us a hummingbird feeder. Tom had insisted he did not want to fool with one, but I told Peggy I hoped to get one. Last year a hummingbird would occasionally fly into the garage for a noisy inspection, and I think they are great. So Tom has resigned himself to hanging it up. I notice his chosen spot is near where he sits on the little front porch to read...