Birds

This spring I thought it would be fun to have a couple of bird feeders around the house. This has proved to be true. We have had a great time watching the birds and trying to figure out what kind they are. C enjoys announcing that birds are on the feeder by making bird sounds and has started saying "bird." So, the couple of dollars spent have been well worth it. They have also added a great deal of humor and frustration, however. Several weeks ago, when I first put one feeder out, a squirrel found it. He was so heavy that he broke the feeder. Not just once but three or four times. One time I saw him on it, turned into an old farm lady, and went running outside yelling at him to get out of my yard. He did not get the hint and within a few hours was back on the feeder. The scene repeated itself. A couple of hours after that, C, B and I were playing in the back yard when I heard a loud "pop." I looked to the left, and something red was falling from a near by power line. Yes, a squirrel had been electrocuted. I had mixed feelings about this, thinking "it serves him right" and "maybe if I had not scared him away, he would not be on the power line at that time." None the less, it gave me a little laugh. A couple of days later, Albert, the boys and I went for a walk, and thought we'd see if there was a dead squirrel. Apparently he survived, as nothing was laying at the bottom of the pole. The next time I went shopping, I found a "squirrel proof" bird feeder. Again I laughed, but was pretty sure the squirrel could not sabotage or eat out of this feeder. I was right, but the birds are having trouble as well. It is a cage, shaped like a large ball, with several openings for the birds to go in and eat the food out of the middle. The squirrel has not even attempted it. The birds took a while to go near it and still have to re-learn how to get to the food every morning. It has slowed down my bird-food buying though!

I hung our other feeder right out the living room window. That has been very fun to watch. There have been a couple of issues though. First, it is a little tall, so I have trouble reaching it to put more food in. Second, the birds use their beaks like brooms and knock all of the food out. I just filled it yesterday and it is totally empty today. Thankfully bird food is not expensive. But, I will not be filling it again until all of the food that is on the ground is gone! That should teach them!