(Reprinted from the Nov. 16, 2001 Suburban News)

There was frost on the cars and most of the leaves had fallen and their red, yellow and brown hues covered the ground; but something was moving. Hard to spot but it kept bouncing closer; and we finally saw it – a cardinal. Though the cardinal’s red had faded a bit and a little yellow showed on the underside, it still was a pleasure to look at.

When my bearded collie has a haircut, I spread her hair in the bushes near our compost pile. During the nesting season birds cart it away to line their nests. Cardinals build their nests in bushes or small trees. Their nest are made of twigs, leaves, and grasses, loosely put together, with a lining of finer grasses or hair. I’m sure local nests are lined with Jennie’s hair.

The cardinals food is varied. They eat weed seeds, wild fruit, beetles and ants. It is estimated that these birds do much more good than they do damage around a farm.

Their range has been extended northward in recent years. As their natural food starts to dwindle, this time of year, you can help them by placing a few raisins on your porch or deck railing. Of course, some blue-jays will be there to pick up some of these treats as well.

A dry season and cold nights means water for your bird friends is hard to come by. I have found that an aluminum kids’ sliding saucer is a great addition to our bird bath. It keeps the cement top from cracking. It can be lifted and banged against the ground or a tree to remove fallen leaves and ice before adding water. And it’s shallow enough to make a perfect bird bath.

With the leaves fall down, except for beech and a few tight-fisted oaks you can see abundance of your feathered neighbors as they come to your seeding area with a new feeder attached to the sliding dining room doors is allowing us an even closer look at many chick-a-dees, tufted titmouse and white-breasted nuthatch.