October is my favorite month of the year. Why, you ask (yeah, I heard you) because it’s my birth month #Libra.
Once my awesome birthday is done, I’m filled with a bit of melancholy!
Why, you ask (yeah, I heard you again) because it’s Fall and Fall brings on the colder temperatures, we won’t even mention Winter (oops, I just did) anyways… and colder temperatures mean an end to my outdoor gardening. I can no longer play in the dirt ☹.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Fall. How could you not love those amazing colors that Mother Nature gives us a little blackmail to not think about the last Summer. 
I’m not a fan of the cold but I love the snow (I know, it’s a conundrum).
So, what does an accused gardening addict (which I am not) do in the winter time?
Well, I would lament at the cold and whine about not being able to garden. I would do a mental measurement of the snow in my yard and on January 1st , I would start a countdown to spring (not kidding). I even made a game of it, I would change lyrics of songs and have people guess the song.
This game took on a life of it’s one and soon I had quite a bit of people following it.
This summer I “discovered” birding. I am not a birder per se, but I do enjoy bird watching. I was always hesitant to join a birding group because I didn’t know much about birds. I didn’t even know that I liked bird watching. I thought birdwatchers were odd. I mean really, what kind of people go around just watching birds???
One of my other passions is photography. I happened to be cleaning up my catalogue when I suddenly realized that I was actually one of those odd people. I was well on my way to a bit of bird stalking myself. 😯
My garden already included feeders and plants to attract birds, butterflies and bees and I was only too happy to photograph them when they paid me a visit.
One day I logged on to Facebook and I happen to see a post about a new birding group. The universe knew because I usually miss everything on Facebook. 😆 , yet boom there it was. It was kismet, I tell ya!
It was all backyard birding, no need to go on a bird walk. It’s all done at home, you set up feeder(s) in your yard or on your balcony and the birds come to you.
The best part about this group was that you weren’t judged because you didn’t know what a Cardinal looked like. You could ask questions and get answers without a smart aleck coming back with a smart aleck answer.
Like gardening you don’t need to start with a lot. You can start with just one feeder/plant but just like gardening once you start enjoying the fruits of your labor, that one feeder/plant can turn into many. So be warned 😛
Be a responsible backyard birder. Beware of cats! 
Every year cats are responsible for killing over 2.4 BILLION(that’s right) birds in Canada and the US.
Cats are predators so it’s in their nature to hunt. If you’re a cat owner, you’ve probably received a little “gift” from your feline friend, here are a few helpful hints to help our feathered friends.
- Hang it high. Make sure your feeder is out of reach of cats. No ground level feeders.
- Put a bell on it. Give the birds a fighting chance, put a bell on your cat’s collar.
- Use a cat replant to protect ground foragers. e.g prickly landscape, pepper flakes, moth balls.
- Beware of double Shepard hooks as their little feet can get caught between the hooks. Single hook is best or secure the gap between the hooks.
- Place feeders in an open area, thereby avoiding hiding spaces for those master stalkers.
- Home made syrup is best for Hummingbirds. Store bough syrup contains chemicals which are harmful to Hummingbirds. 1 part Sugar with 4 parts Water. That’s it! Water only needs to be warm enough for sugar to dissolve .
So you wanna start backyard birding?
Find out what types of birds are native to your area. If you don’t know the name of your local birds, birdseed packages usually have images of the birds on them will usually cater to local birds.
These are just some of my visitors along with their sweet song
Are you a birder? Maybe you’re an amateur birder or you just have a feeder. Share your thoughts? Who are your bird visitors?
No matter how small, always remember: Do Something That Makes Your Soul Glow
It’s About Bloomin’ Time