Boy Meets Bird

Feeding Birds at the Birds of Vermont Museum

metasilk — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 20:15:22 +0000

Bird seed! We got the seed from big cans, and scooped it with little cans. We carried it outside with the basket. Auntie Erin had to shovel, and I spread the seed. We were careful going outside because the roof — icicles and snow. They slide off.

Erin took the high up feeders down so we could fill them. She used a ladder.

My favorite is the mixed seed. I spread it on the ground.

We saw chickadees!

Now I’m going upstairs. Me and Erin are going to listen to birds.

MamaTypist-Interviewer adds: You can watch two of the feeders here: http://www.birdsofvermont.org/camera.php Sometimes a lot of action; sometimes not.

What He Likes Best

metasilk — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:27:54 +0000

We are filling the feeders. It’s a balmy November morning, maybe already 50°F and due to rise into the 60s. Not really critical, for the birds, this feeding. But we got up early, strangely for us, so why not.

Mama: “What do you like best about feeding the birds?”

LittleBirder: “The way the seeds fall and sprinkle all over.”

And here I was thinking about the birds we see, and he likes the cascading sound and feel. Pay attention to the now, MamaBirder. He is!

Consequences

metasilk — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 15:47:46 +0000

I am washing dishes, looking out the window at the way last night’s heavy snow*. It’s bowed the branches of our small trees and various shrubs, making rather lovely arches and temporary small cathedrals. A few usual small birds have been to the mixed-seed feeder we have going at the moment. There’s one right now, making the feeder swing with every attempt; it’s really too large for that feeder.

“Hey, LittleBirder, there’s a Blue Jay in the crabapple tree. Go look!”

He runs to the front door. This is a glass door, and at the moment surprisingly clean. I assumed he’d look through, since the crabapple is only about 8 feet from this door. Plus he’s in jammies, and it’s somewhat chilly, having snowed and all. But no. I hear it swing open.

And surprise, surprise, the Jay flies away. Oh well!

* 1″-2″ very wet and sticky, perfect for snowballs

First Snow

metasilk — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 12:59:20 +0000

“Mama, birds like the snow because of their warm fur.”

“Hm. I don’t think so.”

and

“Mama, it’s snow time, so we should feed the birds.”

International Migratory Bird Day

metasilk — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:03:18 +0000

Saturday, May 17th, will be International Migratory Bird Day.

Come celebrate at the Birds of Vermont Museum, if you are near Huntington, Vermont, that day!

“Who Cooks For You?”

metasilk — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:54:10 +0000

Dadda came home after dark and didn’t come inside. He told us to come outside right away to listen to something. It was the Who Cooks For You Owl! We listened and talked back to it.

Mind Your Head

metasilk — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 00:37:45 +0000

LittleBirder and I added birdseed to the feeders — until he bent over and klonked his head on the open lid of the big green one. Ooops. Poor little guy.

Partly sunny, but no birds (a few whistles and twitters as I walked with Orca). Are they out of the habit of being here because we haven’t put out bird sees/black oil sunflower seed?

I made it!

metasilk — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 04:29:45 +0000

Grandpère and I made a bird feeder together this morning!

Reasoning

metasilk — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 21:23:52 +0000

LittleBirder and I were looking at chickadees and a titmouse on the feeder.

Me (indicating the titmouse): And do you know what that one is?

LittleBirder, after thinking: Is it a baby blue jay?

A bit later, he wanted a blue jay to come inside and keep him company (we hadn’t seen a blue jay today).

Blue Jay of the Day (ID #2)

metasilk — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 16:15:01 +0000

LittleBirder decided that the blue jay was today’s bird, and talked about seeing them outside.

I wish I’d written down right away what he was saying. It’s clear to me that Blue Jay should be be #2, really, though I know he knows cardinal by sight…at least in photos. It’s rather sweet: we have a video of him from last Christmas, in which he and his Uncle are putting together a puzzle of a cardinal. LittleBirder is saying “Boozhay?” repeatedly, which Uncle S interpreted as “building” (as in building a puzzle). I was taking the movie, so I didn’t say anything, but I thought he was asking whether the cardinal was a blue jay.