Blue Jay
Every morning our deck is a playground for the Chickadees, Nuthatches and one big healthy Woodpecker. And sometimes, if I am lucky a couple of Blue Jays.Our dog, Nikita takes her bones out there and chews while my husband is out there doing morning chores. So when she is not there the birds like to eat off those bones too. I started putting scraps out there for them instead of where I kept the bird feeder. I did that because I had to walk in deep snow to get to that spot. But the real reason I feed them on the deck in winter, is because it is my favorite form of entertainment. If I buy a big amount of suet at the grocery store it will be gone by nightfall.
A Nuthatch who does not like to share at all!
Our cat, Callie sits in front of the sliding glass door to the deck and just watches the birds. Sometimes she ducks like she thinks they are going to swoop down on her. Other times she makes her chirping sounds, as she doesn't growl or make the usual sounds a cat does when it wants to kill. She is the most friendly cat and chirps to everyone......even her victims. But having the birds feeding on our deck has given our cats a way to break the boredom that winter brings. Only Hobo goes outside regularly. She is the one I have to keep an eye on as far as the birds go. She is a good hunter but seems to understand that she is in trouble if she messes with the birds.
A Chickadee eating out of the cat food can!
Last year, we had a Crow attack one of our Blue Jays. My son and I ran out of the house and chased him away. I had never seen them do that before. I always chase the Crows away when they land on our property. They will take all the food that I put out for the other birds. They don't usually land in the forested areas. But we have open spaces around our house, paddock and garden areas.
I put grease from meats out there in the cat food can. They love it! I put all kinds of scraps out there for them besides the bird seed. The birds all prefer our food first, then sunflower seeds. If I buy the cheap bird food, many times they refuse to eat it. Just like my cats and dog will not eat cheap cat and dog food. What is in the cheap stuff anyway? I guess it is like buying the cheap processed foods for us. No difference.
Do you have wild birds come to your house? Mine swoop down to my husband and me when we are outside all the time. They will land right next to me when I am putting food out there for them. I like to watch them fight and bicker over the food. Just like the horses do. They are just so cute!
Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole
All Photographs Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole
7 comments:
We feed the birds also. We usually don't have the usual birds that come to the feeder interact with us. But, Hummingbirds are a different thing entirely. In the summer they will get close enough to hubby to stir his hair when he is changing the food in the feeder. Several times when he was putting out fresh food one would light on the feeder before he got it back up. We enjoy sitting on our screened in front porch and watch them. Our feeders are just on the other side of the screen.
I LOVE birds! My grandmother (who I was very close to) and I volunteered at the local bird rescue and she has special made bird feeders made and placed in her back yard. She could often be found sitting in her chair outside, smoking her cigarette holding a super soaker water gun waiting for any neighbor cats that may try to attack her dear avian friends.
One scrub jay used to come and tap on her screen door every day begging for more sunflower seeds. Literally hours after she had passed away (we had hospice set up at her house), he stopped by and tapped on her back door. It was a bittersweet moment to say the least.
We're not allowed to have feeders on our patios because the management is worried about mice problems. I would love to have a variety of birds visit me, because, they really are a great source of entertainment.
Oh Kat, I miss all the green and birds around me. Munich is such a green city with deer in the parks. Here I still need time to go and find what I care for. Thanks for entertaining me too.
Ha, and I put your button on the new blog.
http://paulabowser.blogspot.com
Such pretty birdies!! Funny about the cat. Glad you chased away the wicked crow! ;D
I love to feed the birds too. We get blue jays and nuthatches, but mostly a lot of sparrows. Do you have a problem with other critters getting into the meat grease you leave out in the cat food can, such as racoons? Just wondering . . .
Bev, I know it sounds weird since we live in the middle of the state forest, but we have no problem with wild critters. Maybe due to our dog? Maybe to horses outside all the time? They never come here and not even deer getting in the garden. We have had the occasional rabbit.
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