After posting yesterday’s audio postcard, I started thinking about birds and one particular memory came to me. My paternal grandparents enjoyed watching birds, not in an Audobon Society sort of way, but in a more midwestern way. They had several bird feeders hanging under the eaves outside the kitchen window, a few more hanging from the two large elm trees in their backyard, and always had a bird bath cleaned and filled out back.
In fact, in the winter, there was always a heated bird bath: a plastic tub on the back steps with about three litres of water in it, with an electric device that kept the water above freezing throughout the coldest months. I don’t know how many birds were still around, but they had water to drink and a place to swim.
My grandparents enjoyed watching the birds that would come to feed just outside the kitchen windows. When my sister and I were visiting, we’d commonly hear one or the other of my grandparents call us to come into the kitchen. It tooks us a while to learn that we could not come racing into the kitchen because we’d frighten the birds away.
There would be large blue jays, bright red cardinals, sparrows, finches and several other types of birds. They were beautiful to watch.
Back at home in Silicon Valley, we had a bird bath, too. One of my chores was to scrub it out and refill it. I’m sure it attracted many birds but the bird-watching wasn’t as up close and personal as it was at my grandparents’ house.
That’s your random memory for today.
christao408 
We had a bird feeder outside the kitchen window. We finally gave up. The squirrels discovered it and no birds dared come close to the constantly patrolled “storehouse of good eats”. We stopped filling it after awhile. When the squirrels finally tore it apart trying to get the last of the seeds out, we took it down.
That is one thing I do miss about the midwest is the wide variety and vivid colors of birds. I haven’t looked it up, but I don’t think that Cardinals are indigenous to the west coast since I’ve never seen one here!
My parents, who live in the south suburbs of Chicago, have a huge oak tree that hangs over the deck in their backyard and they’ve also got bird feeders and baths that are frequented daily. They even have a family of chipmunks that took up residence in their wood pile. They leave nuts and such on the deck to entice them to come close to the windows. Watching all the “critters”, as my mom refers to them as, is very calming and peaceful.
Thanks for sharing….brings back memories for me too 🙂
There were lots of squirrels, as well, giving your Grandfather fits because they always seemed to figure out how to get into the bird’s food regardless of the effort Grandpa made to keep that from happening.
My parents had trees out fronts with berries. It would attract all sorts of birds (robins, sparrows, cardinals, blue jays…). They would sit by the living room window, enjoy their tea and just relax.
I have a lot of birds that visit me even now in this cold season. My grandsons Davis and Noah love to fill the feeders up with all kinds of seeds. I did see a cardinal just yesterday. I don’t generally see them too often at this time of the year. But in Spring and Summer, they are always around, with the most beautiful warble. I like to see the Blue Jays also, but do not like their cackle too much. They are pretty though. I too have a heated bird bath… heated on a warming tray lol. The squirrels are a nuisance, but I always have a supply of the aluminum pie plates that I place over the feeders. Learned about this after several bags of black sunflower seeds were gone. I wish I could see more Humming birds though.They come only a few times and this year I didn’t get to see a single one in my yard. Neat post Chris. Sorry I took off like I wasn’t going to shut up.
In India, birds are everywhere! From pigeons, crows, sparrows to parrots.
@ZSA_MD – No worries. Thanks for sharing that story. I’m sure you have a lovely yard made all the nicer by the winged visitors.
@Dezinerdreams – Wild parrots?
@murisopsis – Zakiah (comment below yours) suggested aluminum pie plates on top of the feeder. That way the squirrels can’t reach.
@ElusiveWords – Matt, that sounds so relaxing. Just sit there sipping tea and watching the birds. When I was growing up we had a pyracantha bush and when the berries would come out the birds would eat so many that they’d end up “drunk”, wobbling around on the ground. The cats loved that.
@deedee8370 – Wish California had more of those lovely large trees. Yeah, we have the redwoods and they are tall, but don’t really have the wide canopy. I think you’re right about the cardinals – not west of the Rockies.
@christao408 – Yeah, wild parrots.
Hah, I like how you said more in a Midwestern way :)My fam is from CO so I know exactly what you mean about a Midwestern way!
i didn’t know that warm bird baths existed. i’ve moved to the suburbs in nj where all sorts of wildlife exist (deer, wild turkeys, all sorts of birds). i think i’d like to get a bird feeder in the near future too. I love observing wildlife!
@Dezinerdreams – Oh, very cool.
regular way of being a bird watcher was the “East Coast liberal” way! Ha!
@babydot74 – Wild turkeys? That should make some good Thanksgiving eating!
@christao408 – We tried everything. We have very smart and resourseful squirrels. It just wasn’t worth it. And now we have the dog, who can’t see rabbits, but patrols the yard and makes sure no squirrels or birds trespass.
By the way we have here in a Hong Kong a natural reserve that is a world famous birding spot. For details: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mai_Po
Aw…how nostalgic. What a nice memory. I live vicariously through others when they talk about their memories because I have forgotten so much of my own.
@kenpcho – You’re a bit young for such memory loss, Ken.
One would think so, but I have a really difficult time remembering a lot of things. My long term memory is, well, lacking. I’m praying that I won’t have early onset alzheimer’s, but we’ll see…