When we moved into our first home in 2001, our realtor bought us a bird feeder. I had never fed wild birds before but soon after, I found a perfect spot to hang it right outside of our dining room window. At first a few sparrows would show up, but if they saw any movement at all on the other side of the window they would dart away. I was told that they just needed to get used to us. The sparrows would take a few days to empty the feeder and I slowly became consistent in making sure the feeder was filled.
It didn’t take long for all of the birds in the vicinity to find out where the grub was located. I started to fill the feeder daily and there were times in the winter when they would empty the feeder in about an hour! Over the years our checklist of sighted birds has grown. The number of finches and doves has grown each year. An american goldfinch passes through and so do red winged blackbirds. We really enjoy the babies in the spring.
Feeding the birds is costly, especially when they gobble it up, and it can also be messy and a hassle. The benefits outweigh the work. My two sons were disabled and over the years it became more difficult to leave the house. We learned to find pleasure in the simple things – watching the birds. We have seen the finch population increase with each passing year and have also seen more doves. Chickadees frequent our feeder as well and they are the friendliest.
The summer before my oldest son, Christian, passed away, we had an abundance of birds. He loved grackles and we had an abundance of them feasting and causing mayhem in the backyard. The mourning dove population exploded with most of them perching on the power line in the alley. We also have Eurasian collared doves. Most of the time less than 10 will be here enjoying the safflower seed off of the sidewalk. In the later part of summer, I looked out back and to my astonishment, there were 20 of them back there!
The winter after my son passed away was the darkest, coldest winter we had ever experienced. The sparrows and finches gave us comfort when they were brave enough to visit the feeder and risk being snatched up by the hawk that lurked in my yard. Today they cannot eat the food fast enough because the babies are very demanding. It is such a joy to watch the parent finches watch over and feed their babies at my feeders. My son Andrew and I believe that Christian is sending us birds to comfort us and to let us know that he is okay. Over the last couple of days, we have had 2 doves perch on the lift right outside the dining room window and stare at us.
If you have a disabled parent or family member who is unable to leave the home frequently, a bird feeder is an excellent idea. It is an easy, joyful form of entertainment and is something we will always enjoy and find comfort in.
The road less traveled 
Birds are simply delightful and whimsical, always fun to watch and feed them.
The boys could never understand how people could just walk by and not notice them. Watching the birds taught them compassion for animals too.