I have been wanting a bird feeder for a while. Seeing them flit among the branches, and of course hearing their joy, adds such sweetness to my day. Finally, I bought a feeder that sticks to the window, and two bags of the mixture that had happy cardinals on the label. 

That was three weeks ago. The dish is still full, and I have not replenished it. I have yet to see a single visitor.

If there are ways to advertise a free lunch for the aviary community, I have not found them. My daughter is in marketing. I could ask her for a logo. Maybe it is in part because it rests rather low on the window... a choice made for my convenience rather than the birds'. The recipe of sunflower seeds, nuts and raisins could be out of whack. Or it might be that the winter is not yet bleak enough that food is in short supply. 

I naively thought that it would be easy to attract a parade of robins. Or sparrows. There was a nest of them living in our eaves a few years back, which we evicted by hammering the hole shut. It could be that that left a stain on our reputation among the winged ones. I could write an apology, you know, in hieroglyphics. 

It is also possible that what I am offering is not delicious. I confess that I did not sample it, and do not intend to. Mark Rober of YouTube fame did a poll in his efforts to feed the squirrels, by putting out a smorgasbord of nuts to determine their preferences. 

When I think of the ways I can lure people into my circle of influence, for the purpose of nourishing them, it makes sense to consider what I am offering. Is my priority my own convenience, or theirs? Are the conversations bitter with complaining, or ones that fill people's hearts? Is the ratio of me blabbing vs listening to them one that is less than attractive? 

I will think about that. In the meantime, I guess I will go for a walk on the trail to look for birds.