AT THE BACKYARD BIRD FEEDERS

Our various bird feeders are a constant source of delight! You never know who will show up, (especially during Spring and Fall migrations). And the individual personalities of our feathered friends are as unique as our own. Some birds are little piggy's who try to hog the entire feeder for themselves while others will eat together peacefully.

We currently have one chipping sparrow in particular, a tiny little fellow who I have dubbed Sir Fling-a-Lot. This guy scatters the seeds around with gusto! He whips his beak from side to side, literally shoveling the stuff out of the feeder as fast as he can, as if he were sweeping the floor, causing the seeds to shower down upon the heads of anyone unlucky enough to be underneath at the time. The squirrels merely raise their tails up over their heads in an attempt to deflect them. The wild turkeys munch away, oblivious, but my domestic geese are constantly flinching, as seeds sprinkle down over their heads and coat their backs. The bunnies just seem glad for the extra food! I often wonder exactly what kind of seed that sparrow is searching for so I could put a bowl of it out for him and save the expense of refilling that feeder every single day!

There are many squabbles daily among birds who either refuse to sit and eat together, or who very strenuously demand a certain spot ONLY on the perch! It's so much fun to watch their antics!! Of course, there are also lots of others who just quietly go about eating no matter who else is sitting beside them, like perfect little ladies and gentlemen.

The ever popular suet cake is great for attracting not only the woodpeckers but just about every other species, especially at this time of year, as the high fatty content helps grow strong baby birds. Many times there will actually be a line, various birds sitting on branches, each waiting to take its turn, much more civilized than some human buffet stations I've been to!

This season there are a lot more hawks around than usual and it has kept every 'birdie' on their toes, (so to speak)! Whoever notices the intruder first will give an alarm call and they all flee in every which direction at once. All, that is, except this one catbird, who just after hearing a danger signal given, gets into the birdbath just like those silly human females in the movies who hear strange noises in the house and decide to go take a bath!! Go figure!!!

If you have never fed the wild birds before, you might want to consider purchasing a cheap model (there are plenty of them to choose from) and a bag of mixed seeds. You will never find another source of ongoing amusement with as much return for your dollar as watching these fascinating little creatures as they interact with one another at the backyard bird feeder.