For the first time in his life, my son has purchased a bird feeder.

He called to tell me about it. He sent me a text message photo of the feeder hanging just outside a kitchen window.

Two days later he called to tell me a cardinal was at the feeder.

Today, the day after Thanksgiving, he calls from Ace Hardware in Maple Plain. He is loading two 50-pound bags of black oil sunflower seed into his car. He also bought a squirrel-resistent seed feeder and a suet feeder. Cardinals will do that to people.

He sent me a photo of the three feeders in place.

Two hours later I receive a brief video of birds at one of his feeders. What are they, he asks.

The image is dark, I text back that they sound like goldfinches.

He sends another text: Yes, finches.

It took him a while to get there, but he is firmly there now.