Feathers and Fuzz

one woman's cure for the empty-nester blues

Pine Warbler

Bird Feeder Sharing: All About Sight-Lines

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I learned about the importance of sight-lines when I first put up a feeder for the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.  Why they sell Hummingbird feeders with multiple “seats” is beyond me!  One Hummingbird claims feeder ownership (I call him “The Sentry”) — perching nearby and aggressively chasing off any would-be sharers.  At first, I thought I could solve this problem by adding a second feeder.  Silly me!  The Sentry guarded BOTH feeders.  Now really — you’re the size of a peanut and there’s 24 ounces of nectar.  Just think of all the calories you are burning fighting off the other 20 or so Hummingbirds in the area.  My words fell on deaf ears.

SO — I moved the second feeder — hiding it out of sight of the other feeder (behind a dog bed I wedged in the terrace railing).  Much to my surprise, it worked!  The only problem with this arrangement is that the dog was not one bit happy about the new location of his bed.  The same dog who warms his butt by the winter fire must have a comfy bed to curl up on when we sit outside.

I now place the second Hummingbird feeder (and mealworm feeder) behind a column — no sight-line to the other feeder combo.  Everyone, including the dog, is happy.

I was reminded of this sight-line lesson the other day when a female Downy Woodpecker was happily enjoying a suet meal.  Soon a male Downy AND a Pine Warbler showed up.  The male landed on the feeder and the female freaked out — soon surrendering the feeder to the male.  The Pine Warbler observed all of this — then applied the sight-line principal to gain a seat at the feeder table.

Pine Warbler: Bird On A Cold Tin Wire

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Hermit Thrush Jan 18 2018

Snow returned to The Retreat and temps dipped into the low teens.  The Hermit Thrush was not one bit happy about the state of his feeder when he showed up for breakfast.  Of course, I felt sorry for him and trudged out to uncover the frozen food.  The Pit Bull remained inside ... keeping his lazy butt warm by the fire.  I often wonder how it is I can love a universe of creatures who warm their butts while I work my butt off serving their needs.  The answer, at least for me, must be simply in being allowed to watch them thrive.  Oh, I'm sure they'd all survive without me, but you've probably figured this out by now ... it's unlikely I'll ever know that for sure.  

Okay ... now to the Bird on a Cold Tin Wire ... 

One of the most sought-after foods during cold weather is suet.  Its high fat content provides the birds with energy to stay warm.  At one feeding station, I attached a small wire between the feeder and the fence to keep the feeder properly angled toward the video camera.  Who knew the birds would think the wire was for them -- a perfect perch?  Well ... perfect except for its very narrow diameter.

In the feature video, the Pine Warbler really wants that suet -- but is finding it quite difficult to balance on the wire.  It's cute to watch him try -- mostly because he returns to the feeder with a plan.  (An admission to the technical folks in the audience:  I lied -- the wire is actually aluminum.)