Happy Birds

When I’m missing my garden during the long Minnesota winters, it’s not just the plants, soil and sun I’m longing for, but also the company. In summertime, bees, birds and butterflies stop by for the pollen, for a bath or a sip of water, or maybe to sun themselves on the warm bricks. When a cat or rabbit stops by, that’s even better. (Squirrels, as previously documented, are far less welcome, but I digress.)

Snow reminds me that some of these animals are still around (there were kitty-sized paw prints on the front steps this morning), but I rarely get to see their visits for myself. That’s why I was so intrigued when Pat extolled the joys of a heated birdbath during one of our conversations last winter. Given how difficult it is for birds to find open water this time of year, he explained, they find a birdbath with standing water even more attractive than food.

Onto the Amazon wishlist went a birdbath heater, which Dad gave me for Christmas this year.

I got excited and picked up some suet, as well. (I’d never heard of suet until I moved up North, but it’s easy to see why the high fat content makes it a preferred food source for birds in these cold days.)

I set them both up on the snow-covered patio, right outside the TV room window.

Lo and behold: birds! Even a robin – in January!!