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Feature Intro: Eating like A Bird: A Guide to Backyard Birding
Over the past few months, the same topic keeps coming up: birds. Specifically, backyard birding seems to be all the rage among friends, acquaintances and even co-workers who say they are waking up early and enjoying coffee while watching the hummingbirds hover near feeders and take in nectar (or, as is provided in feeders, a 4-1 water-to-sugar mixture). I sat with friends in Carthage a few weeks ago post-dinner, on their patio, and we too watched the hummingbirds, their high metabolisms and fluttering wings a soothing balance to our full bellies and sloth-like lounging. They drank sugar-water; we drank wine. With birding now on my radar, so to speak, I began noticing birds in my own yard. A cardinal sat on the grass a few days ago before spotting me and moving on. I hear the sounds of birds in the morning when it’s cool enough to open a window or door, and I’m left wondering: what are they saying? Who are these birds? And how can I learn more? To that end, John Barrett co-founder of AOS and Friends Care, Inc. reached out and provided a list of helpful links, resources and ideas if I wanted to learn more about a subject both he and his late wife, Mary Anne, came to love and find much joy in: backyard birding. Or, as people in the know refer to it: ByB. John and Mary Anne began ByB in 1978 in their first home in Pennsylvania and ran into many of the questions, concerns and struggles newbies to the hobby experience, from determined squirrels to deciding on proper supplies and equipment. Calling on a local nature store in their area, Wild Birds Unlimited, John and Mary Anne were able to get answers to their questions and solve problems. When the Barretts moved to Pinehurst in 2004, chief among their must-haves for a home was a place for birding.
CONTENTS
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ASK THE EXPERT: WHAT IS ADL? FEATURE: EATING LIKE A BIRD FAITH: BAD HAIR DAY? PHYSICAL THERAPY: MIGRAINE TREATMENT BOOK CLUB: WOMEN ROWING NORTH