Not only is the title of this post a great book on writing (a classic by Anne Lamott, and definitely worth a read if you find pleasure in connecting words creatively!), it’s also the way I attempt to increase the variety of birds that visit my backyard.

I know creating a secure and well established bird habitat doesn’t happen overnight, so I tweak things here and there – like adding more water or extra shelter – and then rejoice when another bird feels safe enough to stop by.

Like this lovely lady who dropped in last night.

At my last house, Cardinals were so commonplace at the feeders that I took them for granted. But here, I’m having to make some changes to entice them. So I was thrilled when this sweet gal saw me standing there with the camera and still chose to land and perch.

She seemed content for awhile, but quickly flew off in a blur…

…when this golden-eyed guy also came to the conclusion that maybe the backyard isn’t such a bad place to be after all!

Bird by bird…it’s always fun to see who will show up next!