Mom often wants to share memories with us when we visit her at Falmouth by the Sea, where she is in rehabilitation following two strokes. Many of her stories have been about events that meant something to her, or to one of us "kids", in years past.
She has been talking a lot about the bright red Cardinals that used to come to the feeder by our childhood kitchen window.
This is a recent photo of the house we lived in Connecticut from about 1956 - 1961. Mom's bird feeder was just outside the kitchen window, which is the bay window on the right in the photo. Cardinals were frequent visitors.
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Since Mom was getting so "into" Cardinals, my sisters and I decided to try to bring some to her. We bought bags and bags of Cardinal seed and spread it outside her window daily. We even put a few "faux" Cardinals inside her room. Now there are birds everywhere at Mom's end of the rehab. center...Cardinals, robins, blue birds and chickadees. She...and the other patients and staff...are really enjoying all the birds (and squirrels) we've managed to attract.
Having had such unexpected success at Falmouth by the Sea, I decided to buy a bird feeder to place outside our kitchen window at Applegate.
In order to convince DH to brave the piles of snow and ice with his ladder, I told him that we were feeding the birds to honor Mom. I'm not sure he really bought that, but he was a good guy and managed to get the job done.
There's just one little problem...the feeder has been up over a week and not one bird has visited us. I googled for ideas and tried some of them...like throwing birdseed on the ground around the feeder. Still no luck.
My sister, Joanne, also inspired by Mom's stories, hung a feeder outside the kitchen window at Mom's condo. Joanne reports that hers is just beginning to attract some chickadees and finches.
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| The new bird feeder outside Mom's kitchen window in Portland |
Maybe I just need to be patient and wait for the neighborhood Cardinals to find us.
Any other ideas???
I think it's wonderful what you are doing to attract the birds at the rehab centre so your mother and the other residents can enjoy them. The reason you may not be getting any yet could be because other neighbours have already been feeding them and the birds have that source right now. Perhaps, if this source is stopped in the spring and summer they will come or if you start in the fall they will find you. I don't feed them in the summer or early fall and wait until it's colder and their natural food source is waning. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the advice, Pam!
ReplyDeleteI love that you are getting to hear your mom's stories.
ReplyDeleteMy mother was never much of a talker and did not share much. There is so much my sister and I don't know about her life.
I feel so fortunate that the cardinals visit my bird feeders every day. They are beautiful! Be patient....I'm sure they will find you soon!!!
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