The Backyard Bird Feeder Finally Gets a Hit

Last Fall my daughter and I hung a bird feeder from the low branches of the tree in our back yard. We were excited about attracting migrant songbirds and for the next few weeks we watched through the rear sliding glass door. But nothing came. I tried changing the type of birdseed and scattered some extra seed around the yard, but nothing seemed to work. The seed would gradually disappear, but I figured it was just the wind blowing it away. Despite our bad luck we would keep refilling the seed when it ran out. A couple of times my daughter claimed that she had seen a bird on the feeder, but I wasn't sure. Sometimes a six-year-old can mix up what they are hoping will happen with what really does. So today when she called me to the window and nonchalantly said, "There is a bird on the the bird feeder," I figured she was probably mistaken. But when I peered out the window, there he was - A Red-winged blackbird - my first backyard bird feeder sighting and my daughter's third.

Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)

Checking out what's inside.

Yep, that looks good.

And it tastes good too!

I think I'll have seconds.