Alice Smith has been interested in birds most of her life. She still has her first bird book from the 1950's, and she has an extensive bird book collection with a few volumes from the 1930's. Alice has been counting birds for FeederWatch from Florida for 20 years. For several years she lived in South Florida, but now she lives on five acres in McAlpin, Florida, a mostly wooded rural area in North Florida. In addition to FeederWatching, Alice monitors a Bald Eagle nest for Audubon Eagle Watch, participates in the Great Backyard Bird Count from two local parks, and participated in her first Christmas Bird Count this year as well as a county fall bird count.

Feeding area

Alice has a sock thistle feeder, a tube thistle feeder, two seed feeders on posts, four hanging seed feeders, and from March to November, two hummingbird feeders. In addition to various seeds, she offers shelled peanuts and whole corn. She recently started putting out a dish of mealworms hoping for Eastern Bluebirds. She hasn't attracted bluebirds, but an Eastern Phoebe enjoyed them for a few seasons. The Carolina Wrens and now a Northern Mockingbird enjoy the mealworms as well. Squirrels are a real problem so she puts safflower seeds for the cardinals in one of the post feeders that the squirrels can get on, since squirrels don't like safflower seeds.

Feeder birds

Alice wrote about her favorite bird, "my favorite is usually whichever bird is here, but I have to admit to really enjoying the Orange-crowned Warbler who has been coming regularly for awhile. When I lived in South Florida, I came home to find two White Ibis up in the pedestal birdbath."

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