When I lived on the Kitsap Penninsula stationed at the Naval Sub Base Bangor, I was just starting to get interested in birds.
I lived in a developement in the midst of tall fir trees, and very little sun. Right out the Living room window was a flower bed, in the middle of the front yard, and in that flower bed were two of those tall firs. I would sit on the couch drink my coffee and look out the window. One day I spotted a little tiny bird walking upside down on the tree, Yank Yank Yank it called, and I was hooked. I bought a book and it was a nuthatch. THey like suet, and seeds. I bought suet and put it in the piece of chicken wire that was nailed to the tree. ( I discovered this by accident) The little nuthatch went crazy, picking the seeds out of the suet and stuffing them up under the rough edges of the bark. Hiding it for future bouts of famine or hunger.
I wondered if there were any other of these birds, that for many people are invisible, because they dont take time to look for them. I then started to LISTEN and sure enough there was a raucous CHAT! CHAT! CHAT! and down from the canopy floated a beautiful blue black bird. It was crested, and the blue on his back melted into the black on his head, subtle shading as it went. It too liked the suet. There were a lot of these birds around once I started really looking at them. They are a Stellar's Jay and are very plentiful.
The Kitsap penninsula is RIGHT THERE>>>>across the water...see? So when I bought this house I expected there to be a lot of jays. There aren't! I do not know why, as there are some on the south end of the Island, and up at the state Park at Deception Pass. so why not here?
I have been putting peanuts out in the shell for years, and the squirrels and the rats have eaten them all.
I went to wild birds unlimited on the SOuth end and they had a yard full of jays. I asked what they were feeding them and a bought a bag of the jay mix, shelled walnuts, raisins, peanuts, sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, Looked good enough to add flour and make a fruit cake out of. I put it on the deck, so I could keep an eye on it, and it MOLDED!!!
I dumped it over the fence for the critters and tried again. This morning, I heard a raucous CHAT! CHAT! CHAT! and sure enough there was a Jay! but not eating the expensive feed that I bought, but the peanuts that I leave out for the squirrels.
I dont care! I am enticing them to my yard and I love them!
Right now, Loki and Ethel are placing nose prints on the clean office window trying to get to the pine siskins and the goldfinch that are hanging upside down on the nyger feeder that hangs just on the other side of the window glass. THe DOves are on the platform feeder eating the millet out of the mix, and leaving the stripped sunflower seeds for the chickadees.
The other feeders are full of sparrpws and chickadees, and juncoes. The deluge that came yesterday afternoon has washed away all of the pollution and the air is clean again. The birds are taking advantage of the fair weather, and eating me out of house and home...I must be a good mommie!
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