Since we moved into our new place we have wondered at the lack of wildlife around us. The area we live in is not heavily populated so I am not sure why there is such a lack of activity. Of course, the rifle shots we often hear during the day may have a little to do with it.

We have seen a few squirrels, rabbits and birds, and I do mean a few. Oh, I did look out the window one snowy day and saw a field mouse scurrying across the snow. I suspect there are animals at night that we do not see. I base this on the fact that our little dogs seem to be really interested in the scents they pick up during the day.

A friend who grew up in this area told me that there was little wildlife activity on this side of the mountain and it has been this way for many years. The people who lived here before us said there was a bear here once, but they did not mention other animal activity. We hope to change this a little.

The first area to work on, and the easiest, is to increase the bird activity. I found it odd there seemed to be so few birds here considering there are so many trees. Now, I know pretty much nothing about birds. I like to photograph them and have had a few decent shots, mostly in South Florida where they seem to pose for the camera. For a long time I didn’t even care to know the name of the bird I was photographing. But after a while, I realized I needed to be able to identify them because people would ask, “What kind of bird is that?” to which I would reply something simple like “A large one.” This did not work so well based on the odd looks I would receive.

A nice bird feeder came with the house. It is next to the drive and about 30 feet from the deck. I finally got around to buying seeds for it. I filled it and waited for the feast to begin. I waited and waited but nothing happened. I finally stopped looking so often (my great-grandmother used to tell me that a ‘watched pot never boils’) and a few days passed. Then, one day, I saw movement by the feeder. It was a bird, and then another one, and then a bunch of them. It started to look like a fast food drive through window. They would come for seeds, sometimes two or three in the feeder at the same time. They would fly off to be replaced by different customers. I watched in amazement and after about 45 minutes I thought to go get my camera to get some shots. By the time I was ready to take pictures they were finished.

I thought that maybe there was a “feeding” time and I decided to be ready the next day for the “lunch break”. The next day, with time to spare, I had the tripod set up and the camera with appropriate lens outside, while taking the precautions for transitioning them from the warm inside to the cold outside. I was ready for the lunch time rush to begin. It came and went, with only a couple of birds and no usable photos. Well how about that? So much for the feeding time theory. I re-evaluated my plan and decided the birds were not going to work on my assumed schedule so I would need to be ready, period.

One thing I am coming to understand is that the birds here do not pause for photo “opps”. In South Florida, the birds seem to pose for the camera. Here they tend to be smaller, flightier and less likely to land close enough to grab a good picture. And, when they are close enough they are constantly fidgeting. Considering I cannot change their nature, I look to my behaviors for solutions.

As days passed I managed to get a few shots that were good enough to use with the bird id app, Merlin, on my phone. I decided that if I wanted better pictures of birds, it might help to know more about them. The Merlin app is pretty neat and has been very helpful since downloading it. It is simple, informative and so far, for me, pretty accurate. I have started to learn the names of the birds that are coming to the feeder and a little about their habits and characteristics. I am learning where these birds might be living, what they eat and some of their habits. I am finding this information helpful.

More birds are starting to come to the feeder and we have had to buy another bag of seeds. I have not yet discerned a feeding pattern so I try to be ready to take pictures, but I notice that more and more I just enjoy watching them. I hope that we are able to attract a larger bird population around our house. This may involve more feeders with different types of feed, but more will be revealed. It will be interesting to see how many different birds show up as the seasons change. On our hikes we have noticed bluebirds, cardinals and large woodpeckers but so far we have not seen any of these here. So far at the feeder we have seen, Tufted Titmouse’s, Carolina Wren’s, Carolina Chickadee’s and Downy Woodpeckers. We also have a squirrel that likes to dine here as well.

I have notice a large bird flying overhead on several occasions. I just manage to catch a quick glimpse and have not yet been able to tell if it is a hawk or an eagle. I’m thinking it is an eagle as I know one lives in the area. I hope to get a picture of it but even if I don’t I love seeing the large bird shadow passing over the ground and looking up to catch a quick view of it soaring off to the West.

I do enjoy living here.