About a month ago, I wrote about how our normally bustling bird feeders had suddenly turned into little ghost towns, starting around the second week in September, shortly after I filled both of the 4-pound feeders full of food and had freshened up the water in both of the bird baths.
The birds suddenly stopped coming around, as did the squirrels and the other wildlife we typically see, including one turtle and what appeared to be a deer family. It was extremely unusual, not to mention disconcerting, for both mom and me, as we didn't remember the same thing happening when the season was changing from summer to fall in 2024.
Though we didn't know an awful lot about bird habits beyond what we'd observed from roughly two years of casual bird-watching, we surmised that it was perhaps a seasonal thing. After doing some Googling, YouTubing, and reading the comments to that post, I felt confident it was indeed seasonal and nothing more worrisome than that.
READ MORE (VIP): Caregiver's Diary Part 33: High Drama at the Bird Feeders
I'm pleased to report that the birdies, squirrels, and deer have started to return. It's not nearly at the pace they used to come around, but we've definitely seen a pick-up in activity. Most often, we've been seeing the birdies hover around the feeders in the morning when we first get up and before we close the blinds in the early evening.
I've already freshened up the food and water supply, throwing a generous amount of bird food on the ground as well, which the deer were quick to take care of.
On one morning in particular in the past week, we were so excited when it was like the floodgates opened for a brief time. There were squirrels chasing each other near the wooded area of the backyard, just like old times. The trusty robins were on the ground pecking away, along with a few mourning doves. There were a variety of birds on the feeders themselves, too, including our precious cardinals.
That hasn't happened a lot since they've returned - usually it's just one or two birds here and there, but it was still delightful to see all the same.
On Monday evening, Mr. and Ms. C (cardinals) graced us with their presence. I don't know if they were a couple, were brother and sister, or if they were just two ships passing in the night. But mom and I told each other, while grinning, that it was probably my dad and our sweet Muffiecat who were stopping by to check on us.
"When cardinals appear, angels are near." We love that saying. It's one of our favorites.
Look who showed up this morning. 😊. It's said that cardinals appear when angels are near and that the cardinal represents loved ones who have passed away. Really needed that visit today. ❤️
— Michael Dean Shelton (@michaeldean0116) May 3, 2023
(Videography by Michael
Dean Shelton )#wildlife pic.twitter.com/YnCIsrOjwC
And, as if we needed any more evidence that God is good, all of our outdoor friends decided to join us again just as we're facing some new challenges with the house, including an upcoming roof repair job (and probably a new roof altogether, sooner rather than later), possible work on our brick veneer and/or foundation, and a couple of other things we need to have looked at.
It is during the trying times of our lives that the birdies have provided extra comfort and joy, with the watching of their activities providing some much-needed calm in the middle of life's inevitable storms. God's feathered creations are a sight for sore eyes, that's for sure.
DIVE DEEPER: To check out my previous Caregiver's Diary entries, please click here. Thank you!
