A belated thank you to all who responded (off-list for fear of being
environmentally trounced) to my request in early December for budget bird
feeding leads. You were all very thoughtful and helpful-I have many options
to consider! Attendance is up again around my feeders (wire mesh sunflower,
globe, tube and suet and hummingbird). Among the usual guests are chestnut
and black-capped chickadees plus ruby-crowned kinglets, juncoes, downy, hairy
and pileated woodpeckers and Anna's hummingbirds--a current puzzle is an
apparent finch with distinct white eyebrow and streaks on head- a female
purple finch??? I had the travelling companions pegged as house finches, but
maybe not... I also have a variety of (hard to see) guests visiting bird
friendly/native plantings and our mossy/dead tree collection. for persons
stuck at home, or on a tight budget, bird feeding is a delightful
extravagance- it's an education and a cheap/low impact vacation all rolled
into one (no auto/jet emissions!) If I were not often at home, I would not
be monitoring my feeders. For people who are recent transplants to a new
area, or those who are often alone, backyard birding can help establish and
maintain a bond to the local environment which all too many of us neglect to
cultivate. Also, I have rotten vision, and it's really great to be able to
see some signs of life nearby- but I don't begrudge any of you the
opportunity to do birding "in situ"! As was recently pointed out, there are
more important ways to live gently in the world, even here in Swell- ...er-
Bellevue.

Hilary Barnes
Bellevue, WA