Feathers and Fuzz

one woman's cure for the empty-nester blues

Nuisance Birds

Black Bears – Black Birds – Oy Vey!

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I can still picture a childhood friend’s mother with her head in her hands as she muttered: Oy Vey!  It’s a Yiddish expression indicating dismay or grief.  If only I could be satisfied with putting my head in my hands and muttering.  Oh no … no simple approach for me.  I have to go to war.

So, when the Black Birds landed on the nerves frayed by the Black Bear, out came the walkie talkies.  I broadcast my frustration over the airwaves.  This went on for a couple days until I had a headache and Drake was hoarse.  Drake came to associate the click of the walkie talkie mic with me being in peril (why else would I be freaking out!).  He was determined to bark-away the threat.  Pretty soon I quit yelling at the birds, and just held the walkie talkie up to Drake’s mouth.  He performed beautifully … until he lost his voice.

Next I got out the plastic-pellet gun, but it was only going to be a matter of time before I hit a Hummingbird.  FINALLY, I put my head in my hands and muttered:  Oy Vey!  All the implements of destruction were put away and construction began.  I was determined the “nice birds” were going to eat … and the black birds were not.  I started having fun … quite a lot of fun, actually.  The black birds?  They’re singing Oy Vey!

 

In the upcoming post, I will show you how the “nice birds” responded to the new look of the feeders.  Their song may be more like:  Folsom Prison Blues.

Human vs Nuisance Birds – Part I

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As you saw in my prior post (Least Wanted List: Brown-headed Cowbirds), there are irritating birds — at least they are irritating to me. Sharing is not high on any bird’s list. We’ve seen little Napoleon (White-breasted Nuthatch) try his best to scare off both the bigger birds — and his own reflection in the camera. We’ve seen the Mourning Dove and Blue Jay disagree on whose feeder it is. The bird bath wasn’t big enough for the “Boys in Red“. When the lizard showed up at the nectar feeder, Ms. Hummingbird was quite distraught. Yep, we’ve seen a number of disputes since the dawn of Feathers and Fuzz.

I like harmony and am prone to attempt to exert my own will over the behaviors of God’s creation. As was true in “Human vs Flying Squirrel“, creation always wins — but I never, ever quit.  I do try to let go.  Really.  But, then … I have another idea to bring harmony to all of God’s creation.

In addition to taking on the Flying Squirrels, I continue to try to modify the behavior of those “Least Wanted Birds” — mostly these are birds who show up in flocks, frighten ALL the other birds away, and empty the feeder/s in short order.  In Part I of “Human vs Piggy Birds”, I share my past attempts at nuisance-bird control.  The idea for Part II dawned this past Christmas when I opened one of my gifts.  Nuisance-birds be warned.  This pilot is nearing takeoff!