For The Birds

Jim: Many, many, many people are interested in birds. And what you will find is that you don't have to be an expert. You don't have to know a lot. You just have to get outside and make just a little effort. Starts with feeding and you may be surprised how successful you can be. Julie: Some friends gave us a birdfeeder, and I kinda giggled about it 'cause you know gosh, that's for old people. Jim: Within about a 30 day period of putting up the feeder for the first time we noticed woodpeckers, and we actually had an Eastern Bluebird land on our fence. Julie: And it was the most beautiful color of blue that I've ever seen. And we were bit by the bluebird bug at that point. Jim: It was almost like a challenge: perhaps you should get more involved in what's going on in the world about you. So, that's how we actually got interested in this hobby as a whole. Julie: I am a computer programmer by day and Jim is a telecommunications engineer. So this is exactly opposite of what we do. And I think that's why we're both so passionate about it. It's a fantastic stress reliever. We feel we're giving back something to the world as opposed to just being a resource to take everything. We're giving back something. We're providing homes. We're providing food and shelter. I mean, what more could you want? Jim: Julie would you take a look at that woodpecker feeder. Maybe we should put some peanuts out for them. Julie: Okay. Yeah, the Carolina Wren likes them too doesn't he? Jim: He might. Julie: And the Titmouse, Nuthatch. Jim: Woodpeckers have gone through quite a bit of peanuts this winter. Julie: The Nuthatch is calling right now. Jim: Oh, we probably spend maybe as much as $100 a month in a rough wintertime. When there's a great deal of snow and ice the bird traffic will increase greatly because the food is either covered in ice or inaccessible to the birds. But if you think about your traditional cost of family entertainment, we bring it right to our back door. We get to stay inside by the warm fireplace with a pair of binoculars. We get the best of both worlds; we're warm and we're taking care of our feathered friends in the backyard.