I read somewhere once that if you want to create an environmentalist, give him a backyard bird feeder.  The more a person is drawn to the birds, the more they begin to care about their own contributions to the natural world.  They begin to watch weather patterns to determine which birds will appear when, learning about environmental changes along the way.  They notice when the Hummingbirds arrive or the Goldfinches disappear.  Before you know it, they hired a mini excavator rental and put in a backyard FULL of feeders, installed houses on poles, and they're considering getting a bird bath.

Forrest bought me my first bird feeder on our first anniversary.  We installed it in the dead center of the backyard, so that I could view it from all of the windows on the back of the house.  Over the years, I watched as the birds flocked in, scrambling to look up what each species was before it flew off.  I slowly added another feeder, here and there, to see if different birds preferred different foods.  I built a garden around the original feeder, mostly for butterflies, but also to create resting places for my beloved backyard birds.  I began to notice the hummingbirds and added a few nectar feeders hoping to draw in more.  I watched last summer as a bluebird couple arrived, trying to see if they would benefit from a house or if they had a nice nesting spot in the wetlands.  When I saw the Goldfinches hanging on our garden sunflowers, I picked up a sock full of thistle.

This Christmas, Forrest replaced my original, weathered feeder with what we lovingly refer to as the Bird Buffet.  The new feeder is huge, large enough to hold a flock of birds.  I picked up a peanut feeder, hoping to draw in more Blue Jays.  I splurged on a beautiful seed cylinder, thinking the birds might rest a moment longer with the challenge of removing the seed from the sticky tube.

Watching the birds has become something of a ritual for me.  I wake in the morning, hearing their calls, wondering if I need to fill their feeders.  I'd like to add a few more feeders, spread out more through the yard.  A birdbath interests me, but with the wetlands in the background I'm not sure they would use it.  We got a bird house for Christmas, that I'm hopeful will create a safe home for some beautiful bird family this spring.

I know at almost anytime, I can fill their feeder and the birds will come.  It's a moment of peace in my day, a bright pop of color against an otherwise drab winter backdrop.  Their calls calm me, their habits fascinate me.  My backyard birds bring me Serenity.

The Serenity Project is a monthly collaborative blog share focused on a collective desire to spread peace and calmness through photography.  Follow the circle around to see Emily's take on Serenity this month.