Into the Woods with Curio: Feeding the Birds

“And my God shall supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

It all started with the turkeys. Six ‘jakes’, as the teenagers are called, started visiting the backyard regularly this winter, picking up the spilled seeds under the birdfeeders.

I always feed the birds in the wintertime. Two or three small feeders are kept filled with sunflower seeds for the chickadees and nuthatches, and equipped with squirrel guards. The suet baskets are loaded up for the downy and hairy woodpeckers. Sometimes I put some mixed seed out for the ground feeding birds, such as juncos and tree sparrows.

Mixed bird seed works for a few sparrows, but soon becomes expensive when six large turkeys are vacuuming it up. I asked at the local feed store for ideas, and they suggested turkey scratch, of course. Fifty pounds for only $18.95, and no tax! I brought a bag home and spread some on the ground. It was gobbled up in no time --they liked it. So did the deer.

A doe and her two grown fawns started to show up at night to scrounge any leftovers. Okay, I thought, I’ll leave some out for them at night. That worked until they started to visit earlier in the evening. I think they told some relatives or friends, because before long there were five deer visiting, even during the daytime. It was getting a little competitive for the turkeys, and for the growing flock of snow buntings. Not the usual bird to visit backyard feeders, they started coming in January. Watching all these beautiful white birds descend from the tree tops down to the ground to feast on the scratch is a sight to behold. As long as the deer and the turkeys aren’t around.

Now there are eight deer waiting for their breakfast every morning. They are so eager to start eating that they hardly move when I go out and put down the scratch. The turkeys are also waiting, and come strutting across the yard as soon as they see the deer eating. The snow buntings are waiting, too, but have to be quick to get down and eat before a deer or a turkey notices them eating and chases them away. It’s a bit of a circus, and has really got away from me. I’m thinking I may have to start a GoFundMe campaign because I’m going through more than a bag of scratch a week!

With my limited resources I should have kept it to the bird feeders for the chickadees. However, God can handle anything, and spring is imminent, along with a more abundant supply of food for the deer and the turkeys and the snow buntings, and many more.

God also supplies us with all that we need, and more. Can you think of ways that He has provided for you?