i got a bird feeder pole a few years ago for christmas because at the time i had no deck to nail bird feeders into. i hung up some feeders, and it seems like all i’d gotten in the past were wrens, robins, and blackbirds.
so i wasn’t expecting much when i stuck my pole out in my backyard and filled my feeders. boy was i in for a surprise.
the first birds i noticed were the goldfinches. there are literal flocks of goldfinches that come and hang out on my feeders and on the ground for breakfast. then the orioles came! this was such a nice contrast to the boring blackbirds and wrens i’d gotten in the past.

 
of course i got some purple finches (i’d had a few of those up in st. joe – not very common though). then i saw a few rose-breasted grosbeak and a few indigo buntings, as well as a woodpecker!
i decided to get a hummingbird feeder, which was a good move. i saw a hummingbird sunday morning zipping around the feeder.
 
i put my birdbook next to my sliding doors, and i need to get my long lens on my camera so i can start taking some pics of these birds.
 
 

next step is a pair of binoculars. somehow i’ve become a bird watcher in my old age.