By Wade Sheldon, Tulalip News
Growing up on the Tulalip Reservation, I spent countless hours at my grandmother’s house, where every moment was filled with adventure, from playing video games and exploring the woods to indulging in sweet junk food. Yet what I cherish most from those early days is simply sitting in her vibrant garden, alive with cherry, apple, and peach trees and a dazzling array of berries: raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, and huckleberry. During harvest season, finding these fruits felt like uncovering hidden treasures.
The garden was a magnet for wildlife, attracting squirrels and a kaleidoscope of birds eager for the feast. Hummingbirds danced among the flowers, robins eagerly pulled worms from the rich soil, and a majestic Steller’s jay pecked among the trees. These everyday sights sparked my curiosity about these feathered visitors.
Is it age that fuels this fascination? I like to think it’s just a pure love of the game. Recently, that childhood curiosity was reignited after watching the movie The Big Year, which follows birders competing to see how many species they can spot in a single year. Watching the characters chase rare sightings and keep track of every bird they encountered made me wonder what species were already visiting my own yard. Wanting to attract more birds and learn to identify them, I asked myself, “What do I need to get started?” The answer, as it turned out, was bird feeders.
A quick trip to Home Depot led to a pair of feeders, one for hummingbirds and another for small songbirds. I prepared a sweet nectar mixture of four parts water to one part sugar, picked up a variety of seed mixes, and added a few hanging plants after learning that birds prefer a little cover while they feed.
Initially, it was a bit challenging. I set up the feeders and plants, eager for the birds to arrive. But days went by without a single visitor. I quickly learned that not all nectar is created equal. The store-bought nectar I purchased did not seem to attract the hummingbirds, while a simple homemade sugar-water mixture did the trick. The seed mix also sat untouched, so I improvised by spreading seed on a fencepost near the edge of the property, creating a trail that eventually led birds back to the feeders.
Then everything changed.
Slowly, the birds began to discover the feeders, igniting my newfound birding frenzy. The first species I identified was a song sparrow, thanks to the Merlin Bird ID app. The app can identify birds by their songs simply by listening or by analyzing a photograph. For someone just getting started, it felt almost like carrying a field guide in my pocket. What started as a simple curiosity soon grew into a hobby. Before long, I found myself listening for bird calls, studying photographs, and keeping track of every new species that visited the yard.
Today, I have identified 26 different species. While I am nowhere near setting any birding records, keeping track of each new species has become one of the most enjoyable parts of the hobby. Some of my favorites have been the Stellar’s jay, Rufous hummingbird, American goldfinch, yellow warbler, black-headed grosbeak, and northern flicker. Each new visitor feels like a discovery, and every morning brings the possibility of adding another bird to my growing list.
One of the biggest surprises was how quickly the birds adopted the feeders once they found them. The first few days were quiet, but once the birds discovered the food source, they began returning daily. It did not take long before I found myself checking the feeders several times a day to see who had stopped by.
Along the way, I learned birding is about much more than simply hanging a feeder. I discovered that some species, such as the Eurasian collared dove and house sparrow, are considered invasive and can compete with native birds. I also learned that if you have dogs, it is often better to use shelled seed, as discarded seed hulls can create a mess and may not be ideal for curious pets.
Perhaps the most valuable lesson has been patience. Birds operate on their own schedule, and there is no substitute for sitting quietly and waiting. More often than not, if I spend 10 or 15 minutes still and attentive, I will either spot a bird or hear one calling nearby.
For me, part of the fascination comes from watching a small animal that lives without many of the boundaries people face every day. Birds can take to the sky and travel wherever their wings will carry them, moving from forests and shorelines to neighborhoods and back again. There is something freeing about watching them come and go as they please.
Beyond that freedom, birds are simply beautiful creatures. The more time I spend observing them, the more I notice the incredible variety of colors, patterns, and designs nature has created. From the bright orange feathers of a Rufous hummingbird to the striking blue and black plumage of a Steller’s jay, each species seems to have its own unique personality and style.
What began as a simple attempt to attract a few birds to my backyard has grown into a daily hobby that encourages me to slow down, pay attention, and appreciate the wildlife that has been around me all along. In many ways, it has brought me back to those afternoons spent in my grandmother’s garden, watching the birds come and go among the trees and berry bushes that first sparked my curiosity years ago.