Now that I’m out of house arrest (with no time off for the good behaviour I exhibited), I’m able to pick up bird seed in an order-and-pay-by-phone-and-pick-up-curbside-with-no-contact mode. This year I decided to try a mix spiked with hot pepper juice or somesuch. Squirrels, being mammals, are bothered by spicy stuff; birds, being birds, are not.
What the birds are bothered by, though, is the colour of the seeds: They’re slow to recognize red food as good food. But they’re gradually getting the hang of it, especially the starlings, which travel in packs. Gangs? Somehow “flocks” doesn’t capture the effect or the affect as they noisily swarm the feeder and muscle out all the other visitors.
Pretty but pretty obnoxious birds.
But the more-welcome birds are also back. The juncos . . .
Peeling a seed: No hands!
The cardinals . . .
And even a robin, keeping a careful eye on something off-screen that caught his attention.
What the heck is that over there?
Amazing pictures, Isabel.
I especially like the last one: the robin peering and saying, “What the heck is that over there?
Happy Sunday! I’ve forgotten the date…March 57 I think.
Tom
Tom – Yes, they do seem to have some person-ality. Who knows what’s going on in there? Maybe plans for world domination.
Nice backyard birds (even the starlings I guess..) and entertainment
Jim – Thanks! I’m trying to persuade the starlings to go elsewhere by letting the feeder run dry for a day or two. They seem to move on faster than other birds.
A further thought…why is it that birds are often the harbingers of good news, or just plain goodness?
Is it because they’re carefree, unfettered? Just to watch them provides a lift.
Tom
Tom – Maybe we like them because of the whole flight thing. But I guess it depends where you are in the food chain whether a given species brings good news. A fish is never happy to spot an osprey overhead.
I’m enjoying the picture of the cardinal the most! We don’t have them in Alberta, so they are a novelty. 🙂
Heather – Yes, they are magnificent.
I am happy that we are not in the far north as you appear to be
Barry – 🙂 We’ve had irritating wee flurries over several days. The snow doesn’t last but it does keep on coming.
We don’t get many cardinals, they are beautiful!! Great captures.
Carla – They’re a bird that doesn’t mind being noticed. They sit on the top of trees and the end of branches and sing out loud.