Birds a Brewin'

Fall migration is always a wonderful time, even more so when it makes stops in your backyard as it did with mine this week. I was working at the dining table, always watching the sparrows and house finches munch at the platform feeders, when I noticed that one of the sparrows looked different than the rest of my dinner guests. It had a distinct pale eye ring, very fine streaking on the head, a clear breast and abdomen, long tail, beige-washed cheeks, and the faintest black moustache. A Brewer's sparrow had come to visit! Not a new bird for my life list, but definitely a new backyard visitor.

He only stayed the one afternoon, but returned to the feeders several times to snack on millet and black oil sunflower seeds. I had some great looks through my new binoculars, even when he retreated to the neighbor's tree (several branches overhang our fence), and I enjoyed his company, however brief it may have been.

We need to enjoy the fall migration and enjoy the new visitors it brings to our feeders; it's yet one more way to appreciate the outstanding diversity that fills our skies. Keep your feeders full and your resident flocks will catch a visitor's eye, bringing them in for a bite. I can't wait to see who arrives next!

Attract migrating birds with these great tips!