Birds Around Our Property

The Bluebirds on the separator above were cute and really struck home when we saw them. My wife and I love birds, and we have several bird feeders in our yard. We feed House Finches, Gold Finches, Ravens, Black-capped Chickadee's, Cardinals, Sparrows, Orioles, Tufted Titmice, Doves, Hummingbirds, Wrens, Bluebirds, Blue Jays, Juncos, and Red-headed woodpeckers. We also have a large number of gray squirrels that live on the property.

We've installed a 3 tier birdbath and pumping system in the yard. My Wife and I spend many summer afternoons watching the birds flit, play, eat, and bathe. They can be very amusing and add a sense of tranquillity to our environment.

When we bought our home in 1993, the neighborhood was extremely quiet...all the little birds had been chased away from their rural homes by construction. We began to "bait" birds, and install feeders in hope of attracting the once common birds back to our home.

Debbie and I have been raising baby Bluebirds for several years. We got started in 1991 when a good Ham Radio friend, Huland Gardner WA4THL, brought a Bluebird house to our home in Wilson NC and installed it in the side yard. We became so intrigued by their habits and idiosyncrasies, that we began to study them.

Bluebirds are very rewarding to raise as they will become familiar with humans and will carry on normally with life as if we're not there. We observe the babies directly, by opening their homes up daily and talking to them during their development. We visit them regularly while in the nest, and this seems to make them less concerned with the human inhabitants of the property. The picture to the right is of a batch nearing fledgling in size. Their short tailfeathers indicate that they will be leaving the nest soon!

They are so beautiful, yet fragile. They were once near extinction due to pesticide poisoning. They build articulately, and only use pieces of straw woven just so.

We have several Hummingbird feeders, and love to watch these tiny little guys buzzing about. We actually had a Hummingbird nest in a tree in our yard for the last 2 seasons. They usually nest in secluded locations, but they built these nests on a branch over our front walkway...almost as if to show us their work.

The nest is only about the size of a tablespoon, and bright green in color. Hummingbirds, too, become very accustomed to us and seem to ignore our movements. They will fly within inches of us and sometimes even inspect us closely. They are so tiny that it's hard to imagine that they are migratory birds.

Our property now sounds like an aviary, the air filled with the songs of many happy birds. We feel as if we've given something back and enriched the terribly short lives of these tiny beauties.. Humans should give consideration to all creatures displaced by so-called "progress" and remember that they need homes, too.

Here are some pics and slideshows of birds we've taken around the property and up at the Lake House at Kerr Lake Reservoir...