During the flush of neotropical songbirds migrating north, enjoy the short-term appearance of a variety of warblers, vireos, tanagers, and orioles, such as this brilliant female Orchard Oriole. Insects attracted to flowering trees and bushes will attract, orioles, flycatchers, and warblers, such as this Yellow-rumped Warbler (photos by Paul Konrad). Visiting flocks of native sparrows that may join a Chipping Sparrow could include a mix of Lincoln’s Sparrows, White-throated Sparrows, Chipping, Fox, Song, Harris’s, or White-crowned Sparrows.

We share many ways to make your yard more attractive for birds in a variety of ways – by providing a variety of seasonal foods, fresh water, flowering plants, landscaping improvements, and bird houses. But how do you fit in? With the ever-improving weather of May and the promise of a wonderful summer ahead, it’s time to kick back and get into that relaxed birding mode you can rarely experience beyond your own yard. Take time and make time to enjoy your yard regularly and appreciate the “fruits” of your efforts to attract birds to your yard.

When you have a chance to relax and get comfortable outdoors, appreciate how you can melt into the scenery in a comfy chair with your binoculars in hand. And while you’re at it, take stock of your seating area, especially your seat. Is your outdoor chair as comfy as your indoor lounger? Would a rocking chair with a padded pillow seat add another dimension of comfort to your backyard birding encounters?

You may already have great outdoor furnishings, and that’s often important to enjoying the outdoors addition to your home in all the best ways, but don’t hesitate to designate a favorite chair as your birding chair. A “birding chair” should be mobile, one that you can reposition relatively easily to different locations that offer you a good look at a short-term hotspot for birds in your yard, where you can become part of the landscape and watch a parade of birds visiting flowering bushes or that action at a nest box.

Above all, a prime quality of any birding chair is comfort. The idea is to relax, clear your mind, focus on your yard, and the birds that visit. Your birding chair may be one you store in your garage until needed to protect it from rain or other elements, but the idea is that it’s a designated and appreciated - maybe it’s an heirloom wooden rocker, or a well broken-in leather armchair. It may even be a simple folding lawn chair that provides a light-weight haven that fits the bill for you. Comfort and mobility will serve you best.

Then as you relax with your binoculars in your lap, consider how you can enjoy your yard even more this year! Now is the time to spend as much time monitoring the daily changes in the birds that visit your yard, while keeping your feeding station and water feature operating at top avian capacity. Seriously, enjoy your yard, kick back, relax, listen to the birds, identify the ones you can, and record new voices for further review and identification. Have a snack and a cold drink, or an iced cup of coffee or tea – you have it made as long any time you’re seated in your birding chair!

Is Anything Missing?

Take stock in what you have and what you may wish to add to your outdoor home birding experience. Would an umbrella add to your experience during the warmth of the day, or perhaps a small side table would add to the mix. A foot stool can add a lot to even the most comfortable chair. How about some colorful pillows or chair cushions? You may even decide an area needs a little fix-up, clean-up. Maybe a new dash of paint – some touch-up, or a flash of color. Perhaps you prefer more of a weathered wood look, which is nice too.

No one knows better what works best for you, but in the end, keep birds as a central attraction. Position yourself so you have a view of your feeding station, a flowering tree, or your favorite landscaped section of the yard. Don’t get too anchored in the same ole scene – enjoy alternate seating locations in your yard, especially to take advantage of periodic bird activity happening here and there.

Share Your Excitement

Don’t hesitate to share your excitement, or should we say your relaxation, with loved ones and friends; for now, probably via social media, but in time invite folks over for some relaxed birding-themed social time. Eventually, when we get back to a more normal social lifestyle, you can build on a birding-based backyard social center, hosting a place where you can relax with others and enjoy the birds surrounding you that provide a daily chorus that changes through the morning, afternoon, and evening. Enjoy your yard and your birds; relax, recharge, and sit a spell.

Share your birding experiences and photos at editorstbw2@gmail.com