New Entertainment!

Almost exactly two weeks ago, Paul and I took our first steps into the world of wild bird feeding when we attached a small plastic feeder to one of our office windows. We (mostly I) fretted about whether the birds would ever find the feeder, and whether they'd want to eat from it at all with the two of us working pretty much all the time just a few feet away. We scattered some seeds on the windowsill in hopes that the birds would recognize them, and we even tied a White-breasted Nuthatch figurine (a 3/4 size Christmas tree ornament we've had for years) to the top of the feeder, in case a decoy could help the birds notice the location and/or feel more comfortable with it. And then we waited. I don't know whether the extra things we did actually helped, but today.... Success!

Yaaay, little Tufted Titmouse, you are the coolest, and the bravest! Thank you for your patronage, and don't forget to tell your friends! (And yeah, I keep thinking that fake nuthatch is real.)

I am optimistic that this new addition to the apartment will eventually mean lots of happy birds in our yard, and lots of entertainment for us. Plus, it's always exciting to find new ways to see birds up close! :D

Incidentally, if you're wondering about the ethics of window feeders (which we definitely were), apparently attaching bird feeders directly to the window actually decreases the likelihood of window strikes -- the feeder helps breaks up the illusion of an open pathway, and the little feathery creatures don't try to fly through solid glass. I just hope that actually turns out to be true for us!