Winter is over, although it doesn’t always feel like it. It’s time for me to say goodbye to my birds and other critters and let them go back to feeding themselves.
But before I do, I’ll throw all the left-over seeds and suet and dried bread crumbs in the feeders and on the ground and give the critters a going-away party. Once my critter “larder” is empty, I’ll keep it that way until next November.
I thoroughly enjoy the wildlife feeding aspect of winter, but I’ve no qualms about quitting when bears come out of hibernation. Seeing a fox prancing on my deck has a certain charm, but I am not inclined to see a huge, lumbering bear sitting at the picnic table. Bears are interesting creatures, but their teeth are much too large for me to foster a relationship with one.
This year, in addition to an abundance of birds, two foxes have graced my back yard with their presence. Early in the winter, a dainty red fox with white stockings was a regular visitor. It seemed especially fond of suet chunks that I was happy to supply. This fox disappeared and has yet to return.
Later in March, a stocky fox with lots of grayish-black fur became a regular member of my critter club. It hung around, eating sunflower seeds if nothing tastier was supplied, and even acclimated to seeing me in the kitchen window.
I’ve almost forgotten to mention the red squirrels, probably the biggest attendees at my feeders. Arnold still listens when I talk to him. He and his merry band of squirrels will hang around all summer, chattering at the dogs and bullying chipmunks.
The only drawback to bird feeding is the carnage that happens when birds crash into windows, but this year, I finally found an effective and attractive bird deterrent for my windows, thanks to a kind reader from Hovland. She called after reading my column about a woodpecker that’d flown into my living room window and, luckily, survived.
She recommended an item called an Acopian Bird Saver (web site of the same name). I ordered one and tried it. It worked, so I ordered enough for the front windows.
A simple device, the Acopian consists of parachute strings that hang in the window. You can purchase or make your own. I opted for buying them. Dick put them in the windows, and the “Zen” curtains, as they are called, seem to work wonders without ruining the view.
Finally, I’ll be able to take down the garish orange survey ties that now adorn my windows.
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