Attracting more birds - goldfinches and hummingbirds

This morning, my oldest son alerted us to the presence of a yellow bird in the tree, near one of the feeders. I immediately recognized it as the American Goldfinch. That's the first one I've ever seen in the neighborhood, let alone in our tree. However, goldfinches tend to be harder to spot as they like to hide in tree with yellowish leaves that make them blend right in. Today, it was in our cherry blossom tree where it wasn't well camouflaged. It took a turn in one of the feeders before it flew off. In our backyard, we have added a hummingbird feeder. Hummingbirds like to drink nectar, so they require a different feeder than the seed-eating birds. We haven't seen any show up this week, but we'll have to see how it goes this summer.

Come one, come all to the birdfeeder

The birdfeeder that we put out last year is certainly attracting the birds. Last year, it was almost exclusively used by the house sparrows. This year, we have seen it used by a variety of species -- red-winged blackbirds, brown-headed cowbirds, house finches, and common grackles. We also have about a dozen mourning doves who will eat the birdseed that is scattered underneath or out on the lawn, as well as an occasional blue jay. We also have some robins, but they tend to stay away from the crowd at the feeder.

With spring here, we are starting to see some more species return to the area. I have noticed some northern mockingbirds around our house, and I've seen a killdeer by the main road.

Don't be disappointed if you put out a feeder and no birds show up. If you keep putting food in it, eventually birds will find it. Don't be afraid to try some different seed mixes until you find the one they like the best.

Advancing in rank... and choosing not to advance

Nathan completed his Scoutmaster conference and board of review for Second Class, so he has advanced in rank from Tenderfoot. He has also completed all of the requirements for First Class, but he decided to hold off on those reviews for one simple reason -- he wants a chance to actually wear his Second Class badge.

Upon reaching the Scout rank (which is mostly a formality after joining), Scouts are allowed to work on Tenderfoot, Second Class, and first Class requirements simultaneously. These ranks all consist of "Scouting skills", so they do not have to be learned and signed off in any particular order. However, the ranks still have to be earned in order. So, even though Nathan completed all of the requirements for First Class before he finished Second Class, he could not receive that rank until Second Class was completed. This opens up the possibility of a Scout earning two of those ranks or even all three ranks simultaneously.

He will go for his reviews next week so that he can reach First Class, but for this week, even if it's mostly symbolic, he is Second Class. And I couldn't be prouder.

Never give up

Last year, most of the Webelos II Scouts from another pack crossed over into our Boy Scout troop. One boy didn't -- and that's okay. I wouldn't want to have a boy join a Boy Scout troop just because his parents are pressuring him to do it.

Sometimes, when you step away from an activity for a while, you realize just how much you miss it.

Fast forward one year. This particular boy is still friends with the other boys who were in his den, and he has started to miss the fun of Scouting. His friend invites him to check out a troop meeting, so he does... and he loves it. While the meeting might not have been the most fun a boy can have -- most of it was spent working on knots and lashings -- you could see how much he enjoyed being with his friends. He had no trouble joining the group, even with the boys he didn't know. He and his father took home an application, and they will join our troop this week.

As luck would have it, his old pack will be having a crossover ceremony tonight, and they will let him be a part of the ceremony, giving him a chance to do what he missed out on last year. It's a good opportunity to remind the boys that if they ever drop out of Scouting, they can always come back.

Good mourning, my little doves

This morning, we saw a mourning dove picking through the bird seed on the ground. I was surprised to see him all by himself, as I always see mourning doves in groups. He proceeded to pick through the food for about 20 minutes before flying away. However, he soon returned... with about a dozen friends. The ground was suddenly overrun with doves! I knew he wasn't all alone. ;-)

Meanwhile, we believe we have spotted at least one female finch to go with the two males that we have seen. We'll have to see if they move into one of the bird houses.

More birds

Having a well-stocked bird feeder while the ground is covered in snow is paying dividends by attracting more birds. During the week, Deana spotted a house finch. This morning, the kids and I were able to confirm it, spotting two males. They look a lot like sparrows, but the male finches have red throats and chests. We will have to keep on the lookout for the female finches which will be harder to distinguish from the sparrows.

The early bird gets the... snow

We have had a very dry winter this year. There has barely been any snow so far. So, at the beginning of February, some of the birds that ventured south for the winter made their way back north. Of course, that's when it started snowing.

I feel bad for these birds. It's too far for them to turn back and go south again, so they are stuck here. However, since we have a well-stocked bird feeder in our tree, we are attracting all sorts of birds. We have seen cardinals and blue jays for the first time in our yard, and we have a flock of robins hanging out as well. We even have one bird that we can't quite identify yet, but it looks like a baby turkey. Of course, we still have the house sparrows that stayed through winter.

If you have a birdfeeder in your yard, keeping it stocked in winter is even more important than keeping it stocked in summer. When it's warm out, the birds can find food just about anywhere. When the ground is covered with snow, your feeder might be the only place that they can find food.