MOH Has New Interest.

[Bree]

I thought I would share my husband's new interest with everyone as it might help some other sufferers. I bought a bird table, bird bath and feeders, and put them in the garden where we can watch from our lounge. OH gets great delight watching the birds, asking which each one is, consulting our bird book, and making sure the feeders are regularly re-stocked. He had no interest in birds before, but they bring him so much pleasure now.

 

[BeckyJan]

Oh lovely! It reminds me of my husband who also enjoyed just watching birds and squirrels in the garden (although he had choice words for the squirrels ).

I hope this helps other sufferers too and in turn their carers.

 

[Spamar]

I did it for OH about three years ago. Also got the pullout garden birds, it's comes laminated, very useful. I don't think he ever looked at it! He did ask me about them, though. But a black bird was a blackbird, whatever species it was. Females blackbirds were LBJs!
Now, there is no interest whatsoever. Fortunately for the birds, I keep the feeders stocked, they love it.
So, earlier stages, good. Later stages, not so good.

 

[Bree]

All good for the birds though

 

[chick1962]

My husband and I play the Wii and have great laughs! I also got him some painting by numbers which he really enjoys even though he has tremors in both hands. I am the one who love the birds and on our feeders we have woodpeckers, coal and blue and yellow tits, starlings, robins , blackbirds and a lot more xx


Sent from my iPhone using Talking Point

 

[Bree]

Chick, since starting 'bird watching' we have seen all the usual garden birds, but as we don't live in the country, we have been thrilled to have a Jay visit, and a Merlin, we also have a naughty squirrel who steals the nuts from the Wood Pigeons and Doves.

 

[canary]

My OH is disabled and has memory issues (though not dementia) and the bird feeders have been a life-line. We also go out to a local wildlife sanctuary and head for the hides where we can sit with our binoculars, bird books and flask of coffee. Its a very pleasant outing, but does get a bit nippy in those hides!

 

[chick1962]

Chick, since starting 'bird watching' we have seen all the usual garden birds, but as we don't live in the country, we have been thrilled to have a Jay visit, and a Merlin, we also have a naughty squirrel who steals the nuts from the Wood Pigeons and Doves.

Ahh a jay , never seen one of them but would love to! We have a what I call huge Mr. Fox ! He out foxes me everything I want to take a photo !!! Been on the hunt for one for 3 month now!!! I know some ppl don't like foxes but he is gorgeous!!! Xx


Sent from my iPhone using Talking Point

 

[Saffie]

For my 70th birthday my daughters bought me a lovely bird bath which I placed on our front lawn. I rarely had time to watch the birds bathing but my husband absolutely loved it.
He used to report delightedly about the fights he'd seen when I was out.
As we live in a very quiet close, I was impressed the first couple of times he said this but was then let down by him adding "There was this blackbird and then this pigeon came and......!

When he had to be placed in a nursing home after 8 months in hospital, my choice was influenced by the surroundings of woods but sadly, as he was not on the ground floor he was not able to lean forward sufficiently to see the birds through the window.
So I bought a bird feeder that attached via suction to his window and used to keep it filled with seed. The number of different birds that visited it were a delight to a number if the staff and to myself but my husband was by then past the place where he was able to take an interest in it.
I left the feeder and container of sees there when he died so that someone else might have the pleasure of it. I hope they did so.

 

[chick1962]

My OH is disabled and has memory issues (though not dementia) and the bird feeders have been a life-line. We also go out to a local wildlife sanctuary and head for the hides where we can sit with our binoculars, bird books and flask of coffee. Its a very pleasant outing, but does get a bit nippy in those hides!

Sounds lovely we walk around our nature reserve too but Johns mobility is a bit affected after stroke and he walks with a stick so 30 min is all he manages with breaks of course but he enjoys it xx


Sent from my iPhone using Talking Point

 

[Spamar]

Love jays. Saw one once from a train! Kingfishers, wonderful, one landed on our boat many years ago when we were on the Broads.
We do have a pr of goldfinches which come every day.
Other things, muntjac, squirrels, fox
OH went to local nature reserve with daycare once( he didn't know which one!) but he said he didn't like it! I was surprised. We go a lot, it serves coffee and great cakes. Turns out there was no one to answer questions! Usually my job! This was a couple of years ago, he couldn't walk far enough these days.

 

[Miss Merlot]

Embarrassingly, OH has also got me into being a bit of a twitcher!

We have a bird table in the flat communal grassy bit (to describe it as a garden would be pushing it!), and have a number of blue tits, a chaffinch, and an elusive robin, as well as all the boring ones like sparrows and pigeons.

We've just put one against our window as well, and got most excited the other day when a blue tit came and fed from it - through the window it didn't seem to be able to see us, so we could get really close up.

We haven't seen it again since though

So sad are we, that we are contemplating installing a birdcam, so we can see who is eating all the seed when we are not there!

It is a rather innocent little joy in life.

 

[AnoviceinN1]

My late MIL used to love watching the antics of a visiting squirrel on a squirrel feeder outside the window of her care home room - even though she was never even remotely interested in animals pre-dementia. The home installed a lot of these feeders outside residents' windows and they were a great success. We used to joke about getting a $50 bill for squirrel food in the monthly invoice - of course, the home never charged for the food! - but it would have been worth it even if they had. Better than cable TV!

 

[Jinx]

I'm jealous! Before we moved we had all sorts of birds and squirrels coming to our bird feeders and using the bird baths. Our new garden appears to be virtually barren, I have only seen one blackbird and one robin since we've been here. I am persevering with feeders in the hope that we can attract other species, and will be developing the garden to make it more nature-friendly. So glad you are all getting pleasure from our feathered friends!


Sent from my iPad using Talking Point