Curiosity and visions of close-up bird photos carried the day.

First, what kind of feeder should I buy? After looking at several, I purchased one made of recycled material that would not rust or corrode, an important consideration when living on a barrier island. Salt air is relentless! The hanging variety seemed like a good choice since I have many trees in my backyard.

Next question: where should I hang it? I wanted it close to trees and shelter so that my little visitors could hide or flee from predatory raptors. But would I also attract seed-loving squirrels? I did not know how many squirrels also lived in my backyard habitat.

First try, feeder on tree.

Second try, feeder on house

Undaunted, I followed Internet recommendations to hang the feeder between two widely spaced trees. Squirrels would be discouraged from making a scary jump from the trees to the swinging feeder, I hoped.

Present set-up, suspended between 2 trees

This morning, coffee cup in hand, I peered out from the kitchen to see “my birds” at the feeder. Instead, and to my horror, I saw Mr. Squirrel firmly settled on the feeder, happily feasting on bird seeds. It appears that tightrope skills are part of this squirrel’s bag of tricks.

Strike 3 and out? No, I am not ready to give up yet!

And, you ask, what about those beautiful close-up bird photos? Sadly, my little point and shoot cannot zoom in quite close enough from my kitchen window to the feeder. But, since this is a matter of equipment, I could easily solve that problem.

I will be sure to let you know when I win the lottery so I can buy all that expensive “stuff” that I so clearly need. No doubt I will then have some gorgeous bird photos to share.

Until such day, here is my painted bunting photo. Can you see him? Isn’t he pretty? Lyn

There really is a painted bunting in this picture!

I just moved into a new home that has a backyard sheltered by trees and shrubs with the potential to be very “birdy.” I can hear them twittering and see them darting into the foliage even as I type this.

As you can see from looking at part of my backyard “jungle,” it would be SO much easier to view and photograph them at a feeder rather than in the bushes and trees.

I find myself wandering around and wondering (sometimes out loud) if I should put up a bird feeder and get some of those great shots, too.

Go for it, you say? But, unlike birders that live in cold climates, I am in east-central Florida, near the coast, where winter comes and goes in a few days. We have a few days or maybe a week of cold weather, and
then it warms up. And so it goes all “winter.”

Migrants winter in Florida for good reasons. Here they find warmth, food, and shelter to avoid freezing or starving in colder climates.

Do winter or year-round birds in Florida really need a bird feeder? Or, am I messing with nature somehow to serve my own (selfish?) desires to view and photograph them?

When I lived in the Boulder, Colorado in the Rocky Mountains, I definitely put up a bird feeder. I felt pretty good about it too. But at times, I worried that I might be creating an unnatural situation, and even gave this a name.

I called my feeder an ecological catalyst, because it was an attractant that promoted interactions among many species. My daughter, Karyn Lewis, as a young and developing artist, captured the concept in a drawing, which still hangs in my home office, nearly twenty years later.

Seeds nourished birds and Abert’s squirrels. Sometimes, sunflower seeds sprouted beneath the feeder, an odd sight in my neighborhood, for sure. However, my feeder also attracted bird predators, such as prowling cats or hungry, sharp-eyed raptors. But, at least my feeder visitors could find food in the cold, snowy Colorado Mountains, in both the winter and spring seasons.

Should I give in to temptation and take up backyard bird watching in Florida?




After all, I can walk on the beach or visit parks year-round to observe birds and wildlife in their natural settings. For example, a black vulture posed patiently for me near the banks of Mosquito Lagoon, in Canaveral National Seashore last December. Or, while walking on Bethune Beach, I snapped several shots of sanderlings trying to stay warm on a chilly November morning.

Do I need or deserve more than this? If I do set up a feeder, what are my responsibilities? Once started, can I stop? Am I required to ask folks to bird feeder sit when I leave town?

To feed or not to feed, that is my question. I need help! Lyn