Grandmother's feeder

As a young child, I remember my grandmother's bird feeder. This bird feeder was hung just outside the kitchen window.My grandmother's favorite bird was the cardinal. These birds were allowed to eat from her feeder. In fact, if there was a cardinal in the feeder, she would announce, "Cardinal." We were not allowed to move when the cardinal was eating. It was kind of like the game freeze, only with red birds. However, sparrows were not allowed to eat from the feeder. My grandfather had attached a long wire to the bird feeder that ran through to the inside of the house. The wire went under the screen to keep it in place. Whenever a sparrow landed to eat from the feeder, my grandmother pulled on the wire. This pulling on the wire would jerk on the feeder, startling the bird and he would fly away. Now mind you no sparrow was ever harmed and often enough they had plenty to eat because my grandmother could not stand on duty 24/7. This was also a very delicate bird scaring operation, because my brother and I were rarely allowed to pull on the wire, we might break it.

Carrying on my grandmothers love of watching birds, I enjoy this activity also. I have 4 bird feeders in my yard. My family and I watch the birds from the kitchen window, the bedroom window, and we watch the front feeder from our front porch. Here are pictures of my feeders:





As I view the pictures, I notice that I need to fill them. I could fill them everyday, but the birds knock more than their fair share on the ground.

 It is fun to watch them eat from the ground under the feeders, as well.

Here are a few of the birds that we have seen eating from the feeders at any given moment:

robin

blue jay

dove

chickadee

red-bellied woodpecker

white-breasted nuthatch

wren

goldfinch

red finch 

I do not have a "sparrow scaring" wire attached to any of my feeders. All birds are welcome.

I have fond memories of my grandmother and her birds.

Everyone, thank you for reading

Have a great day!

Kathy