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 Several years back, I wrote about our bird feeder, a
housewarming gift for our new digs. We had problems
with squirrels and with the pole that held the feeder.
Also, it was about ten or fifteen feet from the dinette window,
too far from where we eat, read, and enjoy the birds
as they dine with us. Funny, but they seem to munch our
sunflower seeds mainly when we have breakfast, lunch
or supper.
I decided to try a new arrangement and hung the
feeder on a steel wire that hangs from the gutter just one
foot from the window. I figured they'd be freaked by the
closeness and our movement, and we could move it away
from the house, but after just a few days, they seemed to
be at home where we could sit at our window and watch
them really close up.
The wire is heavy gauge and at the point where the
feeder hangs on it, I turned up about 4 inches of it so that
a squirrel climbing down would at least be deterred by
the sharpness of it. I hoped no little bushy-tail would impale
him/herself on it, and so far, all's well.
We thought a perch would be nice, so I attached a piece
of a small tree branch across the window and I imagine
that it serves as a lounge bar for those waiting for a place
at the feeder. They perch themselves for a few seconds
then fly down to the feeder, grab their seed and off they
go. Some of the sparrows seem to enjoy sitting in their
food and stay on the food tray, nibbling away for several minutes.
I added a suet "cage" which attracts all the smaller
birds, but especially the little downy woodpecker. They
also perch on the "lounge bar" and peck away at it to no
avail (no insects.)
Of all the birds that visit out feeder, I still think the
cutest is the Chickadee; the prettiest is the Cardinal with
the Blue Jay a close second. Spring and Fall bring us the
"snow birds" (no, not our friends with Florida condos),
those that are traveling South to North or vice-versa.
While they're all welcome, there are times when the
blackbirds, grackles, and starlings fly through and take
advantage of our feeder to the disadvantage of our "regulars".
I try to dissuade them with knocks on the window,
but they come back later and fill up. Still, the smaller birds don't seem to be intimidated by the larger ones.
Maybe it's just the flutter of wings that tells them to go.
It's fun and educational to watch them, to wonder what
goes on in their little brains as they perch, select seeds, fly
off in presence of new arrivals at the feeder.
As long as they keep a-comin', we'll be a-feedin'.
by Elliott Berenson
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