Create a wonderful bird buffet

I read an article in the March 16, 2023, Washington Post that is titled “Want to be a birder? Start in your own yard” that was written by Scott Kirkwood. It was in this article that I read about the idea of creating a “…bird buffet…” to attract birds to a property.

As I read the article, I was pleased to see that the author had interviewed Nicholas Lund of the Maine Audubon. Nicholas was quoted as saying “Think about what you have to offer birds…It could be a place to nest, it could be food and it could be shelter.”

During the first summer in my home, I heard the most beautiful sound/song coming from outside. It was a song that I had not heard since I was a youngster living in East Auburn where the nearest house was approximately a half mile away, with a meadow between the houses. I immediately went outside to try to find the source of the sweet song. It did not take long before I saw a black and white bird with yellow on the back of its neck perched on the top of a piece of hay. With a little research, I identified that the singer was a Bobolink bird. My research educated me that the Bobolink settles in hay fields and meadows, and my property fortunately included a hayfield. When I learned that the Bobolinks place their nests on the ground, I informed the person that mowed the hay that he must wait until August to mow. The mowers

Down the Garden Path

by Nancy Donovan, Ph.D., PT Master Gardener Volunteer

of hay often prefer to mow twice a season, which means that the babies are killed because they cannot fly away until they fledge in August. I decided to put out some sunflower seeds in a platform feeder in order to entice the Bobolink to continue to provide the joy I experienced when he sang every day. One day, I was sitting outside to enjoy the free music from the Bobolink when I saw a gorgeous Bluebird sitting on the platform feeder. Well, next I had to research what I had to do to encourage the Bluebird to provide me with smiles each day. I learned that Bluebirds prefer insects as their source of food. I purchased the specific type of house for Bluebirds,

Guest Column

by Melinda Burrell National Association for Community Mediation Board Member