Hours driving in the car for a five minute hand-off seemed like the waste of a morning. So I brought sunflower seeds and we made a second stop at the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary. We spent an hour or so wandering the grounds and feeding the birds. Yes! That made the trip worthwhile.
Several people were there with birdseed, so I was pleased to get any attention at all. Those greedy little chickadees must have been stuffed! I saw a few nuthatches, but they were wholly indifferent to the free food. I managed, after much coaxing, to have a single titmouse land and snatch a seed. It was difficult to hold my hand far enough away from me for him to be willing to land. I was impressed with one little girl up the trail. She was maybe four or five years old and stood very still for so long. Her arms were so much shorter than mine, yet she managed to entice a few chickadees to land.
Can you tell I love this?
Having now visited this sanctuary in the winter, summer and fall, I'd say winter is the best time to come for feeding the birds. Summer is beautiful with all the green, but not good for close encounters with the birds. Fall was better, but I had more competition with the other humans. The chickadees are always the first to arrive, even if there were far fewer now than in mid-winter. I was surprised by the others - in winter the titmice and nuthatches chase each other off my hand in an effort to lay claim to the seed. I wondered if some of their timidness was due to newcomers unaccustomed to the free handouts.
Regardless, I had a wonderful time, and my elation made the trip back home seem a little shorter. The Topsfield fair opens this weekend and I'll be heading back to see the fair and see how well my quilt did!
Well, I personally think your Shattered Kites quilt is up to snuff - I wouldn't be surprised at all if you got a ribbon. Your day with the birds sounds lovely!
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