Visitors!

One morning last year, I looked out the window to the tree where we hang our bird feeder.... and... it wasn't there.  Baffled, Cory went outside to look for it.  After some searching, he found it quite a ways off of the ground in a pine tree between the neighbors' and our house.  Having heard reports of seeing a bear in previous weeks.. the only explanation we had was that the bear must have gotten it and dragged it up the tree!  We don't live in a very tight neighborhood... there aren't people passing by on the sidewalk or cutting through yards.  So it is unlikely that this was a prank, though I suppose it is possible!  In any case, in an effort to not encourage the bear to stop right next to our house... we decided to put the bird feeder away for the rest of the summer.

Fast forward to this year...

We decided to get the feeder out and once again attempt to hang it on the tree.  The girls were very excited to go out and help Cory fill it with sunflower seeds and watch him hook it to the branch.  Then they came back inside and stared out the window for quite awhile, hoping to catch a glimpse of a bird.

It wasn't until the next day that we started noticing goldfinches.  And I don't mean just a few.  We counted EIGHTEEN goldfinches!  Male and female... but of course, the bright yellow males were more exciting because they are "Mommy's favorite color"!

Then we started noticing some other creatures hanging around (especially at the seeds that dropped to the ground)... so I started taking pictures!

 

Unfortunately, that great big SCARY squirrel seems to be keeping the birds away lately.  But he is still fun to watch hanging upside down from the branch to reach the feeder.  The girls like him, so we continue to fill the feeder.  And thankfully, so far no bears!

Do you put out feeders?  

Have you had any other creatures enjoying the feast?