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Bird Feeders and Whaling Ships
A sure way to brighten a winter mood.
© eight cent, CC
In the opening lines of Moby Dick, the narrator, Ishmael, confesses to "a damp, drizzly November in my soul." One sure way to brighten November's damp and drizzly mood is to welcome birds into your yard with birdfeeders. Black-oil sunflower seed is especially popular. Hang suet in a wire cage to attract a Northern Flicker like this one. Then, just add water, and you're all set.
BirdNote is supported by The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, dedicated to conserving Earth’s biodiversity through education and science.
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Bird Feeders and Whaling Ships
Written by Bob Sundstrom
This is BirdNote.
In the opening lines of Melville’s masterpiece, Moby Dick, the narrator, Ishmael, confesses to “a damp, drizzly November in my soul.” An eloquent phrase indeed – words that also capture the mood of these gray, potentially soul-chilling fall and winter days. Ishmael’s response was to go to sea on a whaling ship.
[Creaking of ship]
Not an option for most of us. But one sure way to brighten November’s damp and drizzly mood is to welcome birds into your yard with feeders and birdbaths. The liveliness and calls of a batch of chickadees, nuthatches, jays, or finches will break the spell of a dreary day.
Hang up a tube-shaped feeder full of black-oil sunflower seeds. Scatter a mix of millet and other seeds on a platform feeder or on the ground. Hang suet in a wire feeder. The more choices you offer, the greater variety of birds you’ll host. And nothing brings birds to a yard like a consistent source of water in a shallow basin.
[Call notes of chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatches, American Goldfinches]
For BirdNote, I'm Michael Stein.
BirdNote is supported by The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, dedicated to conserving Earth’s biodiversity through education and science. More at allaboutbirds.org.
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Senior Producer: Mark Bramhill
Producer: Sam Johnson
Managing Producer: Jazzi Johnson
Managing Producer: Ariana Remmel
Content Director: Jonese Franklin
Bird audio provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. American Goldfinch call recorded by D.A. Sibley. Red-breasted Nuthatch call recorded by R.C. Stein. Black-capped Chickadee call recorded by R.S. Little.
© 2013 BirdNote November 2018/2026
Narrator: Michael Stein
ID# feeder-03b-2018-11-30 feeder-03b
Bob Sundstrom
Writer