Upstate Geechie

by Sky Moss

My grandmother’s name was Eloise Foster. My youngest daughter shares that beautiful, old Pennsylvania name. My grandmother had family named, Esther, Edith, Edna…. Originally my grandma Eloise was not comfortable with me and my brother. She spent most of her life not seeing, knowing

black people. We grew on her. (side note…. I learned to write reading Reader’s Digests in her bathroom). My Grandmother Eloise could bake, sew, cook Goulash and whoop your ass; in the same hour. She was patient and observant, kind and wise.

On days I had a fever, a cold, mom took me to Grammy’s. I feigned sick. On winter Thursdays we baked bread and made cinnamon buns. The yeast smelled cool and the oven warmed the room.

Outside the three panel kitchen window the bird feeders adorned tree limbs. Two maples, a birch and crab apple tree hosted the guests. Every season the visitors changed… Grand Budapest Hotel… some are regulars, most are. The aberrations and new arrivals kept me peeking out the window. There were various feeder types, homemade, hummingbird specific, suet pinecones, anti-squirrel joints. They hung like edible wind chimes across those four trees. Grandma kept bird books to reference the visitors.

Sparrows, chickadees, Tufted Tits, Cardinals, bluebirds, wrens, goldfinches, my favorite friends, they pull up and say, “what’s good?” I operate off two feeders (2021). One is designed purposefully; it is bully proof. Big obnoxious birds aint welcome…… Oh, Ima name names…. It took some thought and imagination to negotiate that. The seed you offer is important too. Niger sunflower is the best for song

My Grandma Taught Me to Watch Birds

Sky Moss is an Associate Professor at Corning Community College

birds, little birds… Larger seeds equals larger birds. I am not opposed to them but most are bullies, pillagers and miscreants.

The stability and distance from the ground are important feeder considerations. Squirrel firewalls should also be considered. Suspending feeders is my preferred idea, a strong anchor with a 90* appendage optimal. I put them arbitrarily in trees, on posts: feeding birds is cool to me. My primary feeder is selfish. It hangs in front of my kitchen window so I can see every arrival. I pour my coffee and after April 1st I can watch my friends @ daybreak; b4 I ride out to work.

The bullies…. Listen Blue jays gotta eat too but they Hutt Clan. A syndicated predicated on the idea of extortion. Hate em. Starlings, crows and ravens, cowbirds… we have an agreement. I am convinced those birds have souls and will stalk and haunt you. There is actual research. My outer feeder appeases them, I think, like blue jays they are Yakuza. We cool. Male cardinals are aggressive, the occasional woodpecker and spring chestnut warblers too (Glee).

I am always doing dishes. Which means I am always watching birds. Hate Robins although they will be back soon. Bluebirds are a spring favorite. I saw one bobbing and rising over Fitches Bridge 3/4/21…. The last two years we had a two week June visitor, a Baltimore oriole. Majestic…..

My grandma Eloise taught me to look out the window for birds. I miss her. School was boring at age 8, she was not. She also told me after 5/1 stop feeding, unless you are humming birding. Birds are so capable. Send bird pics to the site.

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