Yours for a Song (1954)

wear them as home and shelter for the perky house red [Music] all stomp with a hole in it purposely placed in the yard is also home and shelter for a pet every season of the year brings new exciting experiences to the Connecticut home of Bob and Lydia goose tell which they've named evergreen sanctuary a place for birds to drop in to its safety and live and raise their families over a period of years Bob and Lydia have created this remarked at security for thousands of wrens all this just by providing shelter water and food for the birds while developing their hilltop home and garden full boxes attract nesting bluebirds and Tree Swallows wild feeders attract many other birds Bob Castel an industrial draftsman designs his own feeders drinking fountains and nesting workshop in spare time to be properly placed later in the yard [Music] nearly every part of evergreen sanctuary is near dense cover the birds can always find safety they're chipping sparrows are among our tiniest Birds they went her from Virginia to Florida and moved north and April to raise a family or two insect eating red-eyed Vireo has arrived north and May after a winter as far away as South America one can hear their Robin like song late into the summer [Music] and here at the nest is America's best liked lawn and garden bird the Robin while the Baltimore Oriole a bird of the hyoma trees usually weaves it's hanging nest near the end of a branch [Music] this baby flicker is on the lookout for a meal escaped streets are a quick safer treats for any bird at sight of a pursuer nearby a graceful catbird of the Mockingbird family comes to the drinking fountain for the pause that refreshes and Robin quickly follows for a cooling dip it's thrilling to see the birds at close quarters to watch their actions in behavior as one the Tobii in Cardinal feel thirsty at the same time [Music] a few mockingbirds those minstrels from the land of Magnolia and moonlight have moved to Connecticut to live and there are called mockingbirds because they can imitate most anything from the squeak of a rusty hinge to a cat's mule [Music] a male purple finch watches and waits one of our most welcomed native sparrows as the white throat with its soft tinkling whistle the Goldfinch this time for a bath [Music] well birds aren't the only entertaining little friends that a sanctuary can give you chippy chipmunk grew tame enough to take food from Lydia goose tells hand [Music] the nesting season is always enjoyable not infrequently a baby bird out grows its nest and falls out or is pushed out this little Robin is well cared for [Music] a red zeroth cut feeder which he made hoping it would attract hummingbirds one of Bob goose tells most remarkable inventions making and assembling these feeders and his cellar workshop occupies many winter evenings [Music] the red syrup cups who are filled with diluted honey and hung where the customers can find them [Music] in no time at all a cat bird arrives for a drink [Music] a male Oriole is also attracted to the hummingbird feeder there are birds around you no matter where you are in California Indiana Illinois Georgia Virginia or Connecticut and what pleasure what fun to attract these birds and see them close-up all you need to attract birds to your yard or garden is to furnish food water and shelter and time for the birds to hear about you [Music] and our friend chippy likes the hummingbird feeder too chippy also likes the portable feed box when it's left on the ground sunflower seeds are his particular favorites [Music] the feed box part made has several compartments for different varieties of seeds berries suet and other foods that appeal to birds of many kinds Lydia puts them in the various feeder so there's plenty of food for all and no need for overcrowding the SAPS are the rare of woodpecker as you may hope to see at an attractive bird sanctuary one reason why evergreen is so popular with birds is the care the Castillo's have taken to find out just what foods all the different species prefer and to supply the right foods at the right season through the entire year not just in winter a dash of old rose as a male purple finch comes in again for a good look beef suet is tempting to the male downy woodpecker with a scarlet head patch beef suet is cold-weather food attractive to chickadees nuthatches and several other winter birds in summer its place is taken by natural foods such as insects the male cow bird comes to the garden for his food this time it's a female downy on the suet stick she lacks the redhead dress her mate wears nuts broken up and put in an old coconut shell the tongue on a limb or a wire attract a nuthatch [Music] then again peanut butter placed in one of Bob's special feeders serves many kinds of birds [Music] my how the cat birds love peanut butter [Music] one of the amazing things in a bit sanctuary is the chance it gives to watch the arrival and departure of the birds as they move north and south with the seasons each week in spring there's a steady rise both a number and variety of birds the peak comes in May sometimes a dozen new species each day Warblers hummingbirds grosbeaks late fly catchers and thrushes arrive then from the winter resorts thousands of miles away in the South American Plains and jungles [Music] what baby flicker back at its doorway still on the waiting list [Music] the friendly bluebirds aren't nearly as easy to attract to our Gardens as most of our other native birds because they prefer open fields and pastures to trees and shrubbery however the gist elves have succeeded in attracting springtime bluebirds by offering fresh berries picked in the fall and kept in their freezer awaiting the return of these birds that were the sky on their backs among the plans that afford shelter for the birds is the viburnum which flowers in the spring adding Beauty to the garden it provides fruit berries in late summer attracting a variety of birds in search of food the highbush cranberry with its colorful fruit as an added attraction and so is the dogwood [Music] in early fall some fruit-bearing plans are a welcome sight to migrating birds here the mountain ash supplies fruit to a hungry roving band of cedar waxwings on their way south [Music] yes birds and plants are inseparable companions [Music] to survive and grow the baby chipping sparrow like other young birds eats its own weight of food every day [Music] the blue jay is an all-year resident in many parts of the country [Music] many purple finches spend the winter at evergreen sanctuary the female purple finch is brown and heavily striped the male purple finch for the first two years of his life resembles the female in color then changes to a deep rose red pine siskins cannot be depended upon to visit any plague lily they may be abundant in a given area in one year and then not show up there again for three or four years they wander about in an irregular way that's why it's thrilling to find them settling down on the feeders for a few days or a few weeks [Music] even less predictable than the siskins are the beautiful evening grosbeaks some winters vast flocks of these birds come down into our northern states they readily visit bird feeding stations to the delight of people who have never seen one of them before [Music] well at last after waiting so patiently or impatiently the baby flicker gets a welcome reward from its Hortense whatever your yard or garden may be you'll have many birds around if shelter water and food are provided [Music] young Robbins in the nest our sheltered from harm and the hummingbirds nest even more wonderfully protected by its small size and camouflage can be closely watched when adequate shelter is provided [Music] water to drink is a vital necessity for this male Cardinal and all other birds yes the hummingbirds do like the hummingbird feeder in fact they love it [Music] food in the form of sugar syrup or diluted honey and this red cup will bring these tiny jeweled birds to your garden [Music] only when the Sun catches the feathers of the male ruby-throated hummingbird at the right angle do they flash red each month brings new visitors and sees old ones departing as the mysterious command of the migratory impulse moves them north or south with a swing of a sudden [Music] but summer brings the most colorful birds including the glittering ruby throated hummingbird the most shining little star of all [Music]