I set out my suet feeder prior to last week’s snow. I only feed suet through the winter and early spring months because I think the birds can generally find sufficient natural food sources during the warmer months. I have not seen the goldfinches for months now, or anything other than the usual sparrows at the feeders. This morning; however, I saw that a flicker had returned and helped himself to the suet.
My sunflowers grew quite tall – about twelve feet – rising far above the chain link fence of only four feet. The snow brought a few of them down, helped along by a couple of agile and skillful squirrels. They are amusing to watch as they walk along the top of the fence and stretch their little arms up to pull a sunflower down to within their reach. They chew it off of the main stalk; then run with it in their mouth to a spot near my truck, where they can enjoy their hard earned meal. This is just one of the many ways in which I see the result of my labors. I grow most of my plants, not for myself, but for the wildlife that depends on them.
If I were to stay here for a few more years, I could add evergreens and shrubs and fruit to the landscape. Given enough time, I might be rewarded with more hummingbirds and butterflies, which were nearly non-existent this season. More likely, I would be fighting a losing battle due to the overuse of pesticides and herbicides from the surrounding farms and ranches – and even here in town. I saw very few mosquitos or wasps this summer. Is this because the exterminators have finally succeeded in decimating them, and all of the other species that depend on them for food? When there is SO MUCH evidence of the detrimental effects of chemicals on the environment, why do we continue to allow the manufacture and use of them? I wonder, will we ever learn?
