The Lady Has Lost Her Mind

I have a new hobby.

I am spending almost as much time looking out the window as I am looking at all your blogs.

I confessed to Mr. Brown Socks and to Jamie last night that I am not only a new bird watcher, but now I’ve joined a society on bringing more bluebirds to my area.  Birding is so addicting!  I love seeing the goldfinches at the feeders now with their bright yellow and black feathers.  I’ve learned that they moult and right now they look a little funny because their new feathers are coming in.

The cardinals are always everyone’s favorites, but now I’ve added chickadees, downy woodpeckers and now bluebirds to my list.

My neighbor signed me up to be a member of this bluebird association and she came hauling two birdhouses for me to place out in the back.  We are in a perfect spot because we have grassland and woods nearby. 

My neighbor already has a perfectly formed bluebird nest in her house ~~ however, they had to fight off a mean house sparrow to succeed.  I’ve learned that house sparrows are the devil and can kill the pretty bluebirds.  I now have a trap in my house just in case the sparrow tries to take up housekeeping in mine. 

We were told it’s better to not have a birdhouse than to let the sparrows take over.  Oh the things you learn when you have a new hobby!

Mr. Brown Socks and Jamie were following along just fine with the information about the sparrows vs. the bluebirds until I started telling them how bluebirds really enjoy mealyworms.  Jamie about dropped to the floor at the thought of handling these little wiggly critters.  I purchased a tiny little container at the pet store for $2.99.  Now I’m reading we can grow our own for really cheap!  Jamie DID drop to the floor!  She realized this was the same icky thing we found in an oatmeal box deep in her grandmother’s pantry when we were cleaning it out for her once.  I’m really not sure I could grow mealyworms because it really might ruin my love for good ole healthy oatmeal!

My sweet family was convinced I had lost my mind after I talked about birds steadily for 45 minutes while our daughter gave her dad a haircut.  Then came the final clue:

Oh, how I wish I were tech savvy.  I’d insert a little audio clip of what I did next.  While the house was very, very quiet, I turned on the CD player.  Out bellows the call of a catbird that made both cats in the house twitch their ears this way and that! Yes, it was an hour long CD of Backyard Birds.  I’m not sure my daughter and husband are as enthused as me. This was the look of disbelief on J’s face!  She did enjoy going out with me after the haircut to inspect the birdhouses.  I’ll have her birdwatching before you know it!  You will be the first to know if I succeed in having bluebirds make a nest in my birdhouse!

Please let me know if you are a bird watcher and what sort of stories you might have.

Gotta run ~~~ I have to make sure there isn’t a sparrow in the box.  Whatever will I do if there is???  :-{