I am not a bird watcher but I do watch birds. I know what a few are like the Hairy and Downy woodpeckers, blue jays, chickadees, I guess these are what you would call our 'common' birds.
As humans we have a tendency to 'humanize' animals. Look at them and give the human characteristics. I am no different. In the morning our bird feeders draw in the blue jay crowd. I think of them as friends meeting at the local diner for their morning cup of joe. In this case their morning seed feed. After they have had their discussions, arguments and some good seed they are off. Following them are the chickadees. Now these are very social birds. They hang around the big rhododendron, popping in and out to grab seed and chat. They are not above telling me when the feeders are low or empty. After them are the other little birds. I don't know all the kinds and it really isn't that important to me. A large group of them will come, some will sit and talk at the thistle tube. Some will grab seed from the other feeders and sit on the grapevine cracking open their breakfast. It is amazing to watch these creatures darting in and out, having near misses, arguing and talking amongst themselves.
The woodpeckers will come a various times. They don't seem to have quite the same timetable as the other birds. But they are also not social. They are there for one thing, suet, hanging from the arbor in 2 different places. I buy suet trying to figure out if they like one more than the other. There is a variety of 'flavors' out there. Peanut butter, berry, or buggy. Also a variety of prices. But it comes down to they seem to like everything so really I am only buying the different 'flavors' to suit me.
These birds also give the woods surrounding my dirt road sound. Today as I walked the jays were arguing somewhere in the woods. Their calls surrounding me as I watched them flying high near the tree tops. There were also 2 Downy woodpeckers working diligently on an old maple. One chirped and cheeped at the other making it fly to another area to work as it took over that branch.
When it is very cold like the last couple of days, it gets very quiet. The birds come to the feeders, stock up and then go where ever it is they hide when it gets that cold. But eventually things warm up a bit and the birds come out of hiding. And the noise comes back with them. I like the noise. And sooner than later spring will come and with it more noises. I really do look forward to that.
As humans we have a tendency to 'humanize' animals. Look at them and give the human characteristics. I am no different. In the morning our bird feeders draw in the blue jay crowd. I think of them as friends meeting at the local diner for their morning cup of joe. In this case their morning seed feed. After they have had their discussions, arguments and some good seed they are off. Following them are the chickadees. Now these are very social birds. They hang around the big rhododendron, popping in and out to grab seed and chat. They are not above telling me when the feeders are low or empty. After them are the other little birds. I don't know all the kinds and it really isn't that important to me. A large group of them will come, some will sit and talk at the thistle tube. Some will grab seed from the other feeders and sit on the grapevine cracking open their breakfast. It is amazing to watch these creatures darting in and out, having near misses, arguing and talking amongst themselves.
The woodpeckers will come a various times. They don't seem to have quite the same timetable as the other birds. But they are also not social. They are there for one thing, suet, hanging from the arbor in 2 different places. I buy suet trying to figure out if they like one more than the other. There is a variety of 'flavors' out there. Peanut butter, berry, or buggy. Also a variety of prices. But it comes down to they seem to like everything so really I am only buying the different 'flavors' to suit me.
These birds also give the woods surrounding my dirt road sound. Today as I walked the jays were arguing somewhere in the woods. Their calls surrounding me as I watched them flying high near the tree tops. There were also 2 Downy woodpeckers working diligently on an old maple. One chirped and cheeped at the other making it fly to another area to work as it took over that branch.
When it is very cold like the last couple of days, it gets very quiet. The birds come to the feeders, stock up and then go where ever it is they hide when it gets that cold. But eventually things warm up a bit and the birds come out of hiding. And the noise comes back with them. I like the noise. And sooner than later spring will come and with it more noises. I really do look forward to that.
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