By Louie Ferrera

I’m watching the birds come and go, they flit and flutter from tree top to branch to feeder. The titmice peck contentedly at the seed feeders until they are supplanted by a larger species like the towhee or golden crowned sparrow. When the magnificent scrub jay with its sky blue feathers decides it wants to eat, all of the other birds scatter as they defer to the King of the backyard. This cool, grey morning is absolutely still, however the two feeders that hang from the naked branches of our plum tree sway ever so gently with residual motion as the birds alight and fly away in a pecking order known only to them. What are a pair of white breasted nuthatches doing here? I’ve only seen this bird in and around a forest, yet this couple has apparently set up shop somewhere in the vicinity of our backyard. It’s impossible to miss the brilliant white and gun metal grey color combination of this little jewel of a bird. Like it does on a tree, the nuthatch eats with its body against the feeder, head pointed down. 

The birds are all starting to pair up. The finch couple are back again, the crimson head and throat of the male adds a flash of brilliance to this grey day. In our front yard on an oak tree hangs a small bird house that our son built in junior high. We’ve recently spied a pair of oak titmice exploring its opening. I hope they find the accommodations to their liking. Next to the bird house is a twenty foot tall privet tree, it’s covered with thousands of deep purple, pea sized berries which the cedar waxwings and robins have been gorging themselves on. This is a destination tree, especially for the waxwings, so I wait until every last berry has been eaten before cutting the tree back. Next winter the berries will return and so will the birds.

In addition to the seed feeders and the privet tree we’ve also hung a variety of hummingbird feeders around our yard and a suet feeder too. This feeder is especially popular with the Nuttall’s and downy woodpeckers. One morning a few weeks ago I counted eleven different species of birds either feeding on the suet or waiting their turn in the dormant apple, pluot and cherry trees that surround it. Along the borders of our yard grow thick shrubs and numerous cypress and citrus trees which provide cover and nesting sites for birds. Our fountains provide water for drinking and bathing. The sight of a hummingbird taking a bath is simply magical, their wingbeats are a blur as they joyfully splash water over their tiny bodies. Since moving to our home nearly twenty-two years ago, Carol and I have put a lot of effort into making our yard a safe and welcome haven for birds.

If you’re one of my regular readers you probably know that the love of birds is a common thread that runs through my writing. I’m endlessly fascinated by them. A bird focused hike allows me to slow down and blend in with my surroundings. Binoculars become an extension of my eyes and I soon settle into a Zen-like calm, the birds often seem to just come to me. My excursions into nature are deepened by my knowledge of and love for birds. Of course I don’t always need to be in a forest or at a wetland to have a peak bird experience, the next avian epiphany often awaits me right outside my back door.