In the past, the only feeder source in my small urban back yard was a
tube feeder for sunflower seeds, with squirrel-proof cage, hung from a
tree limb. Regular visitors included mostly House Finch and chickadees.
Juncos would occasionally help the squirrels clean up below.

Recently, I have been adding more native plantings to the yard, and they
now reach a decent height, providing more cover for the birds. So, this
summer, I moved the feeder closer to the plantings, hung from a
shepherds hook. Bonanza! Starting in late October, a series of yard
firsts have made their appearances, including Black-headed Grosbeak
(later summer), Evening Grosbeak (October 26), followed by Spotted
Towhee, Song Sparrow (these two were not yard firsts, but are now more
common), Golden- and White-crowned Sparrows, American Goldfinch, then
last week was a first for Fox Sparrow, and this past Saturday, a Hermit
Thrush. These may seem ho-hum for many with better habitat, but for a
small, urban yard distant from any parks or other suitable locations,
the sudden diversity has been very satisfying.

Moral here is that appropriate cover is a simple improvement that can
work wonders, though it took me a long time to realize.

Scott Ramos
Seattle

P.S. Disclosure required: most of the bonanza coincided with my
cataracts surgery.