A Sentiment

God knew what He was doing when He sent a gentle breeze and brought a lovely butterfly to set my heart at ease. The happiness of your friendship and the gentleness of your words have touched my life in special ways and now I feel assured. Thank you for your loyalty and for reading everyday. I only hope you find things to make a happy day.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Where Do Birds Sleep?


During these cold winter days...I have wondered where birds sleep at night. I'm not about to go out wandering around the yard looking for birds with a flashlight. In the summer, I have scared flocks of birds at dusk...going by a tree... they flutter away and I feel bad that I've disturbed them. Do they come back or just find another roosting place? I think that they must take cover in some dark place under an eave, deck, brush pile, a hole in a tree. We leave our birdhouses up all winter, but seldom see a bird coming out of them. I have heard about people finding dead birds in a house after winter, but I have never had that happen. They must stay out of the wind and maybe under a protective overhang. Dense brush piles like we have may offer protection from wind and from predators. They can be unsightly, but the critters love them. Our little Bird’s Nest Spruce trees seemed to be a perfect place...only now they are buried in the deep snow. Hedges can hold many birds.I know many little birds sleep in our "Blue" and would miss it if it wasn't there. I think that birds can pretty much take care of themselves. They fluff up their "downy" feathers and look like little puffballs. We sleep under down comforters and down coats make us look like big puffballs. :) This has been a very cold winter so far. The birds are suffering.
I read somewhere that a chickadee eats 150 sunflower seeds during good weather and when it is below 0 they eat an equivalent of 250 seeds a day. I'm going out now and make sure the feeders are full.
Balisha

3 comments:

Noelle Johnson said...

Hi Balisha,

I hope that those who read your post will run out and make sure their bird feeders are full...

Roses and Lilacs said...

Hi Balisha, I hope a lot of folks in this area are keeping the feeders full and throwing some seed on the ground for cardinals, doves and juncos. It's heartbreaking to see them so cold and hungry.

Birds take shelter overnight in evergreens. Pines and spruces provide some protection from the wind. I have a sweet autumn clematis that keeps it's leaves all winter. A dozen or so birds spend the night tucked between the leaves and the garage siding.
Marnie

Anonymous said...

Hi Balisha, I think my birds roost in my blue spruce trees a lot. I know blackbirds roost in the tops of my tall trees in the summer. I save my stale bread and crumble it up for them in winter. The popcorn is a good idea, too. My birds love my stale biscuits! Hope you are keeping warm. It is supposed to get above freezing here tomorrow. It is in the 20s today. I am getting out. I have a lot of errands to run!