Come October I begin putting out seed for the birds (and the squirrels—and no, I don’t get involved in turf wars; they seem to work it out well amongst themselves—and anyway, I like squirrels).

I used to do special mixes to attract certain birds but a lot of those had some amount of millet which sprouted in Spring and I don’t like grass and it grew in great thick patches—so, out with the millet. Now I serve only the black sunflower seeds which a good vareity of birds enjoy, including the millet loving doves, who simply wait for the sunflower seed crumbs other birds leave behind.

Am feeling more birdy than usual this year because, thanks to info from a birder, poet, artist, bookish Leafs fan, I have happily discovered Bird Studies Canada and have signed up to make note of birds in my backyard this winter. AND, even more exciting, I’m giving a Bird Studies Canada Xmas Bird Count Kit to everyone in my family with kidlets, so they can document the avian visitors to their own backyards over the Xmas hols.

Unfortunately this chap arrived several days before my tabulations begin…

Maybe he/she will come back and be counted. And identified.

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