A hawk has decided that our bird feeder is the perfect place to find his afternoon snacks.
\nIt’s ticking me off. I haven’t made a count, but I know that we have fewer birds at the feeder this year than usual. We have an overabundance of cheery little sparrows, but fewer chickadees, juncos, cardinals, blue jays, and mourning doves.
\nIt’s very possible that there are more feeding stations now that we have more neighbors. And it’s also possible that because of the drought, the birds have shifted to areas where more food is naturally available. But the darned hawk isn’t helping matters.
\nThere wasn’t a bird in sight the other day, so I watched the trees for a moment, and found Mr. Hawk quietly blending in with the branches. I opened the window and shouted at him. I tried to shoo him off, and he ignored me.
\nNothing irritates me more than ignorance. (Sorry…..that’s one of Elegante Mother’s puns that seemed to fit here. *G*)
\nAnd, one other thing to consider, it’s possible that we are feeding more of the ground based wildlife. It’s been warm enough for the raccoons to be out and about, and those little buggers know how to strip the feeders of seed. The birds kick a lot of seed to the ground while they feed, and the squirrels and deer are sure to be helping.
\nWe need to eavesdrop on the gathering at night to see just who is enjoying the feed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A hawk has decided that our bird feeder is the perfect place to find his afternoon snacks. It’s ticking me off. I haven’t made a count, but I know that we have fewer birds at the feeder this year than … Continue reading