Winter Bird Tree

When we planted the purple leaf plum tree, in dedication to the memory of my maternal Grandmother 12 years ago, I knew I wanted it to be near a window so that we could enjoy the changing of the seasons by watching our tree:

The buds and pink flowers in the Spring, the green leaves followed by the signature purple leaves, the falling of those leaves in Autumn, and the stark, crisp appearance of the bare branches in winter....even more beautiful with snow blanketing the branches.

One benefit, I had not considered was the joy and magic of the daily visits by multitudes of birds. Our purple leaf plum tree is visible from Jackson and Jeremiah's room, as well as from Jenna's bedroom. We all enjoy just sitting and watching the tree, the birds and the weather.
Our kitty, Oreo, loves to sit and drool over the bird activities, too.

One thing I have encouraged Jackson and Jeremiah to do is to observe the birds, identify and count them. We then log what we discover in my favorite bird identification field guide: Birds of North America.

The Field Guide was a gift from an old friend, Nancy, who bought it for me when we started taking Ornithology educational classes and Audubon related trips through the Rio Grande Zoo over 13 years ago.

One of our first trips was to Bosque del Apache in Socorro, NM.And in this way, I fell in love with bird-watching and I am enjoying encouraging this same appreciation with my children.