Feed the Birds

One of the wonders of living where I did in Seattle was the bird activity that Kevin and I had on our balcony. While we lived there, a pair of crows decided to build a nest in the fir tree directly in front of our apartment building. All of us in the building collectively decided that in order to keep from getting dive-bombed by crows while they attempted to lay and raise their young was to make friends with these two crows, aka, feed them. So we did. Kevin and I may have gone a little over-board. We created a little tray for them to feed from, and also learned that crows have an appetite for cashews. Needless to say, we became close friends with these crows (and their offspring) and they grew to know us. I could walk outside on the balcony and they would wait for me along the rail, cawing gently at me to "give me your cashews" and I would oblige.

Here in Lansing, we are attempting the same fate, although not so much with crows but with the local birds. I will add here that I don't much care for house sparrows. I find them completely annoying and gluttonous. I can't stand them. And they bully away the sweet little chickadees. Anyway, we put up a bird feeder. And after a few days of me commenting "maybe the birds in Michigan just aren't the sharpest tools in the shed" they finally started coming. And not just any birds, but Downy Woodpeckers, Eastern Nuthatches, Black-capped Chickadees, Cardinals, American Goldfinches, and even the occasional Red-bellied Woodpecker. Here is a digi-scope I took of a downy and a chickadee munching away (it's all about the suet!). Now the only challenge we have is a wily squirrel, able to leap across vast distances from the tree trunk to the feeder and gobble all the seed. Seriously, we have tried several squirrel-be-gone tricks and she is a smart one. In the end, we may have to move the feeder to another spot and post in on a pole from the lawn. With slick plastic surrounding it.