BIRDIE BUDDIES

 Consider the birds of the air. They neither plant, nor gather grain into the barn. Yet, how their Heavenly Father cares for them! Will He not care even more, for you?? Matthew 6:2

     What do you think of birds? Some folks pay no attention to them, some may be afraid of them, and some are fascinated by them.  How about you?  Can you imagine a world without them??

As I mentioned in a prior blog (see Nov. 2020-Diversity ), my husband and I like to watch the birds. We purchase bird seed to entice them into view. Some are acrobatic, some are fighters, and not at all good about sharing. While others simply take whatever happens to drop down from the feeder. 

It sounds like some of us, no?

     I find birds challenging to photograph. I posted some shots here which are less than perfect; however, I am working to improve. The only time I fail is when I do not learn from our mistakes. Since I am learning, I opted to include some imperfect shots because they are not failures!

It is winter, and while our season has not been as horrific as some of our neighbors experienced,  I feel for those feathered critters huddling together to keep warm.  They are voracious consumers as they feed to fuel their body temperatures. I was surprised to see how quickly they went through pounds of feed!

There is such variety among them, not only in size and color, but in song and purpose.

    While vultures are not attractive, they are the areas eco-trash birds, cleaning up roadkill and other carrion, which might otherwise threaten humans.

A few years ago, a friend and I visited the National Zoo in D.C.  We walked up a steep hill on our tour. I had to stop and catch my breath. Once at the hill top, the first animals we saw were the vultures. I told my friend they were awaiting the next person who keeled over from the exertion of the climb, who they could then consume for a snack!

We live in an environment which offers opportunity to see a lot of different birds. We live near the Atlantic Flyway, and are treated to spottings of several species.  Wetlands are not far from us and the waterfowl can be seen wading, hunting their next meal.

A nearby zoo has an aviary where visitors are welcome to stroll among the vegetation while the critters fly around, or strut along in search of treats.  

While there is a  pungent odor, 

I find the venture into their sanctuary worth the minor discomfort. 

The hues and variations of their feathered fashions are amazing. I love the experience because the birds are not caged, and it almost feels like what a stroll in a jungle might be like.                                                                                                   

While preparing this post, I decided to do some research. Most of the info is from Google and the Audubon.org/news websites.  Here is a small portion of what I found:

SOME BENEFITS OF BIRDS

Birds spread seeds            Birds pollinate plants

Birds control pests--They eat 400-500 tons of insects annually.

Birds reduce weeds               Scavengers are nature's clean up crew

Birds indicate environmental Hazards        

      Birds promote conservation   Birds support the economy

Just one example of how they help the tourist industry:  Magee Marsh, on the shores of Lake Erie in Ohio, which hosts a 2,000 acre wildlife refuge, attracts over 2,500 visitors annually. 26 million dollars was generated in the state as birders visited the various wild life refuges.                                                                                                                                                   

In the American West there is a tree called the whitebark pine that helps both humans and other animals. These trees prevent erosion, protecting the water supply. Only one bird, the Clark's nutcracker, disperses the trees' seeds.

Our bird buddies provide eco-therapy by motivating us to get outside, away from our computers and TV. It exposes us to fresh air and lifts our spirits. Who does not need a real lift in these difficult days?  

There creatures do so much for us, we can be their buddies and help care for them.