![]() There are varied types of feeders hanging on poles, offering sunflower and other seeds, mixed fruit and nuts, dried mealworms and home-made suet. Downy woodpeckers ( Dryobates pubescens) seem especially fond of one nest box next to the driveway. They also use these nesting sites to spend the night during cold autumn and winter nights. Nest boxes border the yards and nesting gourds hang on the front porch, so that attracts pairs who raise young ones here in the spring. It’s my good fortune to live in a home with sizeable front and backyards where I can entice birds to spend time. So I’ll share a photo of one from last year a lovely bird with a scientific name that appeals to me: Spinus pinus. I’ve had them visiting during this season many years but so far not one has appeared in my yard. One thing I discovered this year was that I shouldn’t expect pine siskins to come down here to Orange County, NC, every year in winter. White-throated sparrow ( Zonotrichia albicollis) A number of people have also told me that they enjoy my sharing some of those “discoveries.” Observing nature also has the added advantage of providing a way to keep learning and being able to appreciate wonders around me that I might otherwise never notice. For at least a while, I can think, “I don’t give a shit,” and instead focus on what’s going on immediately around me, like the red-shouldered hawk ( Buteo lineatus) above actually giving a shit. ![]() Observing and connecting with wildlife and plant life does that for me. When facing unpleasant challenges, it’s helpful to have an interest to help put them mentally aside while you find enjoyment doing something else.
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