However I had to resort to the snow photo above because the one I had taken the other day does not shot his 'top hat' to perfection.
Plus if you enlarge it, you will see that he is losing some of his feathers. But he is still a gorgeous bird, no matter what.********************
Before I left home, in the winter we always fed the birds. No, we didn't buy birdseed. I am not even sure if I had ever seen birdseed to buy. And I for sure didn't know anyone that did.
We took a milk jug and cut windows in the sides, leaving the bottom at least two or three inches deep, and would use a string to tie the handle to this trellis mom had at the end of the porch....plus someone, not me, would make some kind of flat 'tray' to nail to the top of a fence post.
We would crumble up leftover cornbread as the main food, and I know we used other stuff but I cannot remember what else unless it was corn. And the birds would just flock to both....there would be cardinals in abundance. I can remember seeing 9 or 10 male cardinals at the same time. Plus there would be different sparrows, chickadees, tufted titmice, and probably wrens, though in all honesty I can't think for sure. But being that they were there all the other time, they just about had to be there then. Mom would also save leftover fats and make a suet for them...
Then come spring/early summer, when we were no longer feeding them...the cardinal would suddenly appear on the fence post, flitting his tail and almost like he was scolding us. We took that as a sign he wanted food for babies...so I would crumble a little cornbread on the post. Here he would come, grab a piece and take off back to the cedar thicket. We never tried to follow, so did not know for sure if they did have babies, but always felt like they did.
ha ha! now THAT song is stuck in my head. THANKS!!! :)
ReplyDeletelove the story of the crumbled cornbread for the birds. how sweet.
Cardinals sound much friendlier in the south than they do in Canada! The ones that come to my feeders are quite shy.
ReplyDeleteVery nice post and story. I wish we had Cardinals here. I have heard that their territory seems to be moving a little further to the west all the time - so maybe . . .
ReplyDeleteLove your stories Rose...and that song will be stuck in my head as well today...and that's okay.
ReplyDeleteA nice picture and story of the Cardinal's return and your cornbread food for the babies. Nice post.
ReplyDeleteWe are birdwatchers, so I love these stories. I need to think of leftover things here to feed the birds, we buy seed and suet both. The squirrel opened the suet feeder door and carried away the cake. LOVE seeing your feeders decorated with sunflowers. The cardinal shots are lovely, and I also love that bird you got with his tail all fanned out, a house sparrow, maybe?
ReplyDeleteThe song is stuck in my head, too! I have put bread out for birds and squirrels. My MIL does and they eat it. I put it out and it is ignored. I should try cornbread, apparently. You're right about the second shot not showing his top hat.
ReplyDeleteI have a couple pictures of the cardinal wearing his top hat. I agree cardinals are very pretty birds! I like your cornbread idea for bird food.
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