The Feeder is the Place to Be

One of the most "happening" places at Heston's lately is our bird feeder. For many years, we have put out a bird feeder for the winter, and we enjoy seeing our little flying friends eat up the sunflower seeds. This year, with the long cold stretch that we have been having, I've left the feeder up, so that the birds can have another source of food. Mostly the spring birds that we have seen are the purple finches, rose-breasted nuthatches, and occasionally a few goldfinches will fly in. Some blue jays also come along, as did a red-winged blackbird, and they seem quite large compared to the finches. The smallest birds have returned, too. A hummingbird showed up on Saturday, May 17th.

I've written before about Greg's bird rescue service. When we re-roofed the lodge a few years ago, we dismantled the entrance to our screen porch. It still isn' t a fully screened-in porch, as we need to frame out a doorway, add a door, and the screening. Sometimes birds exiting the feeder will fly north, and find themselves in the screen porch instead of the outdoor air. Even with an escape route at the far end of the porch (i.e. a ripped out screen), some birds need a little help finding their way out. Most recently, Greg was able to add a flicker to the list of numerous birds that he has assisted.

These are such colorful birds when I see them at a distance--it was great to see one close-up.

If you look closely at my bird feeder above, you may notice that it is bent up a bit. Normally, the feeder hangs from a cup hook on the end of the rafter. That way, the shells fall to the ground below, rather than on the porch. On recent mornings, the feeder hasn't been on the hook. I checked the ground, expecting it to have fallen straight down. Oddly, though, it was on the porch each time. I didn't think that a bear could manage that feat. Those are typically the pests that we need to be aware of when it comes to sunflower seeds. Someone suggested to me that perhaps the pine marten was to blame. Sure enough, one day I caught him in the act. I think that I may have outsmarted him though. When it is hanging on this large hook, right over the porch, he isn't able to get it unhooked. I have to say, I am very impressed by his acrobatics as he attempts to get his booty. Alas, despite my good intentions of continuing to feed the birds through this cold spring, I have had other interruptions. These were of the black and furry kind. But that's a story for another day!