Since I was a little girl, I've loved birds and watching them and watching them raise their families.   From the Carolina Wrens that built nests in our old wooden garage, where our dad tacked up fertilize bags turned inside out along the inside rafters.  They truly love a place to hide.   The birds would build and raise their young in that old garage, with 2 collie dogs, laying under the bench. 

We owned and operated a dairy so we didn't spend much time sitting in the old tin covered garage, but when it rained, we cracked walnuts from the tree in the front yard, for our Christmas Fudge.   We would listen to the birds come and go and the conversations they seemed to have with each other.   My dad would do the dialog, for example, when one would come in and sound frustrated, he say something like, "Who didn't take out the garbage, or who left this mess", and then he'd encourage us to listen and make up replies.   Sometimes it was instructions on leaving the nest and the does and dont's of the farm cat and her kittens. 

We loved the quail, the bluebirds that faithfully built every year and also the martins that daddy called "the girls" as he would begin to say "it's about time for the girls to come home" when spring began to rise.  We had cardinals in the bushes and hawks that visited the chicken lot sometimes.  

When my husband and I were looking for a home, we looked at several very nice places, but nothing seemed to be "home".  As we were going to meet a realtor for a look at yet another house, we passed by "our present home" and there was a For Sale by Owner sign in the yard.   We stopped and pulled up and a wren and her five babies were on the carport.  We came inside and it felt like we were home.  

We've bought a farm and hope to build there sometime soon and even my husband comes home to report hawk sightings and turkeys.  I think he's catching the bug.

Every time my sister and I see a wren, we discuss how they seem to be there just at the right time to lift us up.  When God knows when every little bird falls from the sky, and even how much more precious we are to him, it makes me think of our mother and dad and the reminders of them that we're blessed with. 

As I was on my way from my daugthers this morning, I saw 48 wild turkeys, in three flocks, within 1/2 mile of each other.  My granddaughter (who's three) wanted to stop and hold one.  We also were fortunate to see bluebirds, a kestrel, a red bellied woodpecker, about 10 bluebirds, a cardinal, meadowlarks and of course a dozen or so european starlings.  (This was in Madison County).

We own a feed mill and about 15 years ago we began private labeling and manufacturing wild bird feed for some of the most well known bird stores, all over the south eastern United States.  The mill that does this was actually bought to do some horse feed and now it's bird feed only.   Really curious how God puts our interests together with our business.   These folks approached us, not our idea at all.   I can truly say we have some of the best fed birds in Laurel County.   Since then we've started London Wild Bird Club and have enjoyed many outings learning how to idenitify different birds, lots that have been here all my life and I didn't even know they were here.  We have a great friend, Granville Cox, who is an avid birder and has taught us so much. 

Advise:  Try different kinds of feeds as different birds like different kinds and you actually can buy types that the european starlings, the doves, and the squirrels are not crazy about, and then feed them in a different location so you can enjoy the song birds, and the many varieties at your most monitored feeders.  

Also when you see a flock of birds, european starlings, or whatever, most of the time there will be another species amongst them.  I've found this in european starlings, robins, and ducks and geese. 

My number one goal is to share what I've learned and am learning and to create a place where we can talk about the birds that are in our area. 

Until next time, happy birding