A while back, I hung a feeder just 18" outside our livingroom window, hoping this would enable me to take close-up photos of some of our birds. The birds took several weeks to get used to it. Then, when they started coming to feed, they would fly away if they noticed any movement inside the room.
Recently, it has become our most popular feeder and most of the birds stay on it even when I approach within 4-5 feet with my camera.
At lunchtime yesterday the feeder was busy with a succession of birds. Carolina Chickadees, House Finches, Northern Cardinals, Chipping Sparrows, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet and a Northern Mockingbird all visited frequently. A White-winged Dove tried unsuccessfully to squeeze onto the feeder and a Yellow-rumped Warbler perched nearby.
With so many birds trying to use one feeder, there's inevitably a lot of jockeying for position.
A visit by our family of House Finches usually starts with one of the males checking out the feeder from a nearby set of windchimes or a hanging basket.
Then some of the males start eating. This one was having a bad-hair day.
It isn't long before the females arrive, and they often start by feeding side-by-side with the males.
But at some point they tend to push the males away so they can dine alone.
When our male Northern Cardinals arrive, they are sometimes willing to let the Finches eat with them.
However, they usually end up by displacing the Finches.
Our Eastern Gray Squirrels stand on the shed roof for ages, obviously trying to work out a route to the feeder.
The squirrels haven't managed to reach the feeder yet but one of these days ...
What an excellent idea! I would love to do that, but I can't think of any of my windows where it would work. Maybe I just need to think harder.
ReplyDeleteI'm very envious - you've got a good group of birds there. My yard is still mostly quiet.
We normally have birds now only on that one feeder. I don't know where all the others have gone. Perhaps a neighbor is offering better food!
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ReplyDeleteNice photos Jeff - I bet the squirrel will find a way soon, they always do (unfortunately)!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you're right, Sharon. In the meantime they have made do with stealing a peanut-butter-covered pine cone that was also hanging outside our window.
ReplyDeleteFunny about your Rook knocking down a feeder. The same thing sometimes happens here when too many White-winged Doves crowd onto a feeder.