I celebrated the last day of August buying birdseed. It wasn't for me. My feeders will hang empty for a few more weeks or even a month. It was for mom.

Recently she has become a dedicated bird feeder. In fact, she fed all summer. I was amazed at the steady stream of finches, wrens, doves, sparrows and woodpeckers that made regular visits. Early in the season she had a running battle with the blackbirds but for some reason they seemed to disappear about six weeks ago. That made her happy.

Since mom lives close by and is just a year and three weeks from joining the small crowd that sport triple digit ages, I visit at least once a day. I enjoy her birds as much as she does.

My visits are usually for just a few long minutes. What I find most fascinating is that almost every visit is rewarded with a pair of hummingbirds visiting the salvia that I planted just outside her kitchen window. They say that hummingbirds like red but these salvia are about as blue as you will ever see.

She doesn't feed the hummingbirds. They just come for the flower nectar. That, of course, got me thinking about how to take feeding the birds to a higher level. Birds need several things to be happy. Of course food, but water is also important. Right now I'm plotting about which heated birdbath will join my landscape this fall.

Cover is also important. The birds live in constant fear of predators whether it's the neighborhood cat or a fast moving hawk. If you feed, and your feeder isn't close to some hiding places, you will be less successful. A few evergreens would be great but a brush pile would also serve the purpose.

You will increase your watching rewards if you can convince the birds to nest in your yard or close by. Again, dense evergreens are favorites of many birds.

About a dozen years ago I planted about 25 Leyland Cypress in a rather tight staggered double row. They are now well over 20 feet tall and have become a magnet for birds. They are near a spot where I often sit. I've identified a lot of species from my perch as they perched in the trees.

This row of trees is also along a path I often frequent after dark. The activity on my arrival rivals that of a chicken house when a fox arrives. I'm thrilled, but there may be a downside.

Several weeks ago I was approached by a friend who had an old, rather dwarf white pine that seemed to be dying. After a bit of discussion I was rather clueless and dug out some course books I had gotten at Longwood Gardens.

Under white pines there was a note that suggested that excessive bird roosting could lead to the decline of the tree. After reading that, it was revealed that a hole formed by a missing branch had become a heavily traveled bird route into the tree.

I still haven't figured out whether the literature was saying that the birds damaged the tree or whether their manure altered the soil enough to cause the decline. I suspect the latter.

As you know I always have a landscape project. Usually it doesn't stop at one. With each one, birds and other wild critters are usually roaming my thought process.