My Backyard Has Become a Bird Airport, and Honestly, I like it!

My social media feed of choice these days? Bird Buddy. According to the internet, men go through phases as they age. First comes the “smoking meat” phase. Then, inevitably, the “bird‑watching” phase.  

Well, brother… I have arrived.

A few birthdays ago, my family gifted me one of the first Bird Buddy feeders — a tiny, Wi‑Fi‑enabled paparazzi booth for birds. That little gadget launched me into a full‑blown backyard bird obsession. And I’m not exaggerating when I say it’s made me a better human: less stress, less doom‑scrolling, more joy.

As an engineer, of course, I immediately tried to optimize the entire ecosystem. I’m not going to walk you through the messy trial‑and‑error phase. I’m just going to show you the final form — the fully tricked‑out, bird‑approved, squirrel‑resistant setup I’ve built.

Before we dive in, I want to shout out the companies that have been fantastic along the way: Bird Buddy, Birdfy, Wild Birds Unlimited, and Etsy creators who 3D‑print the mounts that make some of this possible.

 

The Setup: My Backyard Bird Command Center

Once I finally found a spot in the yard where the squirrels couldn’t launch themselves at the feeder — and trust me, they will attempt aerial maneuvers that defy physics and common sense — the whole setup finally started working.  I discovered the pole system from Wild Birds Unlimited is the gold standard. So naturally, I went all in.

Here’s the rig:

• A pole with a squirrel baffle (essential — squirrels are great problem solvers).
• A large seed tray to catch spills and attract doves.
• A three‑topper with two hanger arms and several decorative branches.
• The original Bird Buddy with solar panel mounted on the pole.
• Bird Buddy 2 with solar panels  hanging from one of the arms.
• Two Bird Buddy cameras — one aimed at an Amazon cardinal feeder, the other at a small bird bath. (Both mounted using Etsy‑printed brackets. Yes, I’m that guy now.)
• A cylinder feeder and a tube feeder from Wild Birds Unlimited.

Yes, this means I’m charging camera batteries weekly. Yes, it’s worth it.

 

The Feed: Because Birds Are Basically Tiny Food Critics

We started with Wild Birds Unlimited’s Choice Blend — sunflower seeds, the good stuff. At first, we had two mourning doves. Cute. Manageable.

By the next season? Ten to twelve. A dove HOA. A dove homeowners association with opinions.

They ate like linebackers and showed up constantly. Thankfully, Bird Buddy lets you exclude species from photo captures. So… the doves got benched.

Then came the crows. Big, bold, and surprisingly polite guests — but still too large for the pole setup. So we switched to safflower seeds, which doves still enjoy but crows absolutely despise. That helped balance the crowd.

For the hanging Bird Buddy 2, we use Wild Birds Unlimited No‑Plus Blend — sunflower chips, peanuts, tree nuts, suet, cranberries, calcium. Basically a charcuterie board for birds.

The tube feeder gets Wild Birds Unlimited Finch Blend, which also brings in woodpeckers. We supplement everything with No‑Mess Blend LM in the tray, the Amazon feeder, and under the cylinder feeder.

 

The Regulars: My Backyard Cast of Characters

At this point, the feeders and bird bath are basically a 24/7 airport terminal. The regulars include:

• Bluebirds
• Blue Jays
• Mockingbirds
• Carolina Wrens
• Brown Thrashers
• Red‑bellied Woodpeckers
• Downy Woodpeckers
• Cardinals
• Carolina Chickadees
• House Finches
• Titmice
• Blackbirds, Grackles, Cowbirds (the troublemakers)

Seasonal visitors rotate in like special guest stars:

Goldfinches, pine warblers, palm warblers, yellow‑rumped warblers, Baltimore orioles, brown‑headed nuthatches, gray catbirds, common ground doves, red‑winged blackbirds, Eastern phoebes, and even black‑bellied whistling ducks.

 

The Hummingbird Saga

We do have a Bird Buddy hummingbird feeder. But hummingbirds are like celebrities — they only show up if the lighting is perfect and the décor matches their vibe.

You need red flowers. You need the feeder in the middle of said flowers. You need fresh nectar every three days.

Bird Buddy is great about reminding you to swap it out and clean everything monthly. It keeps the birds safe and keeps me from forgetting.

 

The Birdfy Nest: Reality TV for Bluebirds

One of the coolest additions to the yard is the Birdfy Nest Duo birdhouse. We mounted it on another Wild Birds Unlimited pole with a squirrel baffle.

Within fifteen minutes of installation, bluebirds were already checking it out like they were touring a model home. They moved in, raised eight nestlings this season, and look ready to go again.

We started adding mealworms to help the parents feed their young. They don’t need the feeders, but it definitely helps.

Watching the nesting process unfold on camera? Pure magic.

 

The Conclusion: My Backyard Is My Favorite Social Media Feed

Between the feeders, the bird bath, the cameras, and the birdhouse, I now have a constant stream of bird content — real, wholesome, peaceful, and endlessly entertaining.

It’s the best social media feed I’ve ever had. And it’s right outside my window.

Walks with Maggie

 

Today was my last walk with Maggie.  Although our beloved chocolate lab rested several days ago, today was our last walk.  Let me explain, I was tasked with the daily morning walks with Maggie, except for Saturday.  Before she came into our lives, I really didn't do fitness, other than mowing the lawn.  I was using an iPod Nano at the time as my watch.  It had the Nike app on it to track your running.  So, I used the app for my walks with Maggie.  That fateful Friday, 2,981 total miles were logged: Walks in the rain, walks in the cold, short walks, long walks, slow walks, fast walks, multiple poop bag walks.  I believe dogs were placed on this earth to teach us bumbling humans about life.  During those walks and her life, Maggie taught me a lot.

 

• Commitment: Most of her life, she was very particular about schedule.  Varying from it would get you the whimpering wake up call,  somewhere between 4:30 to 5:00 am.  When the time change "fell back," Maggie's schedule didn't.  That was rough.
• Exercise: Over time, I added strength training before and after our walks.  When we moved back to Florida, I even tried running.  Starting the day exercising helped me cope with our ever changing world. The last few years, the best part of the walk was wiping off her paws.  I took the opportunity to give her a big hug every morning.
• Trust: Maggie walked off leash.  I had to trust her to listen to me and not to run away. In the beginning, she liked to run ahead sometimes.  She would always find a smell that made her stop that allowed me to catch up.  When I needed her to, she always listened.
• Patience: As she got older, the walks took longer.  Like any dog, she loved to smell.  I'd give her some time before nicely nudging her along.  This last year, I let her take as long as she wanted relishing our time together. 
• How to comfort: Maggie was there for my family during tough times.  She showed me that you don’t really have to say a word.  She would jump up next to you putting her head on your lap.  
• Take time to do nothing:  She loved to sun herself in the front yard right under the two large palm trees.  She'd lift her head to smell the wind.  I would sit down next to her in the grass watching the world go by, all the busyness and demands of life would wash away.
• Unconditional love:  Maggie would always greet you at the door when you came home.  She would get you to rub her belly and scratch her ears.  She'd give you great hugs.  She'd head butt you.  She'd pick up a toy in her mouth and fling it at you.  You could never stay mad or frustrated at her for long.  She always loved you no matter what you did.

 

I don't post on Facebook often.  However. on November 7, 2019, I posted that I and Maggie had walked 2,500 miles together.  Maggie was already a diabetic at that time.  She didn't walk as far as she had done for so many years.  Maybe once a week, we'd walk almost a mile.  When I posted that milestone, I wasn't sure if we would get to the next one.  Over two years since that post, we made it to 2,981 miles.  When time was short, I decided that we would walk the last 19 miles.  So, these past few days, I've woken up at Maggie time and walked.  Turning on my daily podcasts and the starting the Nike app, I tried to stop at the places that Maggie would have stopped.  I'd close my eyes and smell the wind.  In the evenings, my wife and daughter would also help me on this quest.  I tried not to cry as Maggie taught me her final lesson, how to grieve and cope who you love.  She gave me the last 19 miles to remember her.  Maggie will never really be gone.  Her lessons will be with me forever.  

 

As believers in Christ, I know that we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, our helper, comforter, and teacher.  I believe the Holy Spirit uses all of God's creation to fulfill His role.  Maggie was our little agent of the Holy Spirt, our dearest friend.  She taught us so much.  She helped us cherish life.  She comforted us everyday.  Thank you Maggie.  We love you 3000.

When can I stop "obeying" my parents?

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”

Ephesians 6:1-3

During our weekly Bible Study Group, we were studying these passages in Ephesians.  During the study and subsequent discussion, once someone is married you may no longer have to obey your parents.  Ephesians 5:31 states "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."  The primary responsibility of the man and the woman are to each other.  Sometimes, the decisions of the married couple may conflict with the parent's orders or wishes.  Ultimately, the decision rests with the husband.

But the group had this question, "If I'm not married, when can I stop obeying my parents?"  To answer this question, let's go the Bible and investigate key words and verses.

"Children" in the Greek is teknon (tek'-non) which means a child of either sex, descendant, inhabitant, anyone living on full dependence on the heavenly father, child living in willful dependence, illustrates how we must all live in utter moment-by-moment dependence upon the Lord drawing guidance, care, and nurture from our heavenly Father.  However in this verse, it means universally and without regard to sex, a child.  "Child" in English is defined as a young human being below the age of puberty (12 to 16 years old) or below the legal age of majority.  "Age of majority" is when you are no longer considered a minor.  This age varies from state to state, but in most states, the age is 18. Generally, the age of majority is designated sometime between age 18 and 21 in the United States.  Also notice that "children" is defined as "inhabitant" which means they reside or live in a place.

"Obey" in the Greek is hupakouó (hoop-ak-oo'-o) which means to listen, attend to, hearken to, obey, answer.  It is from the words hypó, "under" and akoúō, "hear" – properly, to obey what is heard (literally, "under hearing").  "Obey" is acting under the authority of the one speaking, for example really listening to the one giving the charge (order).  It suggests attentively listening, for example fully compliant (responsive).  The word conveys obedience and submission in this verse.  "Honor" in the Greek is timaó (tim-ah'-o) which means to fix the value, to price, value at a price, estimate, honor, reverence, assign value (give honor), as it reflects the personal esteem (value, preciousness) attached to it by the beholder, venerate, regard with great respect. "Obey" is the action where "Honor" speaks of the attitude, the motivation of the action.  The only limit on a child's obedience is when parents demand something contrary to God's Word, like believing in Christ if it is against their wishes. 

While under the parents' roof, while dependent upon them for their needs, or under the legal age of majority, a single person is required to obey and submit to their parents.  Once a single person is living apart from their parents, no longer dependent upon them, or above the legal age of majority, a single person must honor their mother and father which may require them to obey their wishes, for example handling the next stage of their life.  If you respect, revere, value at great precious price your mother and father,  you will receive God’s approval and a fulfilled life.  

Please be careful.  Remember the Christian Life is others focused not self focused.  Before not submitting or obeying your parents no matter what stage of life you are in, check your motivation to ensure it lines up with God's Word and will, that it is others focused.  2 Timothy 3:1-5 states "1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!"

Children, obey your parents in the Lord [that is, accept their guidance and discipline as His representatives], for this is right [for obedience teaches wisdom and self-discipline]. 2 Honor [esteem, value as precious] your father and your mother [and be respectful to them]—this is the first commandment with a promise— 3 so that it may be well with you, and that you may have a long life on the earth.

Amplified Bible