Somebody’s been taking lessons.
Little Red’s technique has been adapted to a much larger body. Grey squirrel used to reach the top of the porch post and find himself challenged by gravity, sliding back down.
Little Red is so tiny, he doesn’t have that problem. He gets to the top and launches himself at the wind chime then swings his little bottom into the bird feeder.
When I passed the window yesterday, I had to do a double take. I may have to install myself at the window to catch this chap’s method.
His dismount was chaotic. Seed flung in all directions. He crashed to the deck and I ran to offer first aid that was happily not required. How do they not hurt themselves?
I can’t say we’re delighted by this development, but we can’t be mad at that little face!
It comes to look through the window at us, while we have breakfast. “I know you’re there!” it says
“Where’s the peanuts?”
Last year we somehow fell into making a terrible mistake.
With the best of intentions, of course.
We discovered bags of peanuts in a local store.
Maybe it was when we were trying to fatten up Mrs Plod, the blind, deaf possum.
But of course, we soon discovered that peanuts are everyone’s idea of breakfast, lunch, dinner, afternoon tea, snacks….
This year, they are on short rations.
It’s all turned in to a free-for-all, and the poor little brown jobs can hardly get a look in:
How are we to re-establish order?
And soon there will be hummingbird feeders to add.
This wasn’t supposed to happen. More summer birds are yet to arrive. Where shall we accommodate them? I hope they don’t get a bush telegraph to warn them the inn is full.
This morning, even the pigeons arrived:
They seemed to be having a conflab about something.
Maybe it was the reduced services š
They were only a party of three.
Just a delegation from the party of 6.
We had another development recently, in the bird department. Exciting, for us.
A week or so ago, this dude turned up, out on “the stones”, a rocky area on the big lawn, beyond the house.
The crows are also a gang of 5 or 6 very shy birds.
They fly off the minute the mere idea of “camera” arrives in my head. No hiding behind curtains can outsmart them.
Someone explained that not far from here is a place, so swamped with crows, they actually do a crow-shoot.
Horrible idea, but I don’t live there, so I won’t comment on that. However, it explains why we have shy crows.
This chap, however must have different DNA.
Before long, he came striding past the house and up to the food bowl, not the least concerned that we stood in the window.
This morning, the little bugger shoveled half the seed out on to the ground, searching for what he knew he would find…a random peanut. Then he hopped away and bashed it a few times before swallowing the bits.
Our boisterous new friend took a few swipes at poor Zoomer who was trying to find some breakfast, but it was only a gentle “push off mate”.
Our shapes in the window were ignored, but Mr Crow was a little leery of the grey squirrel, keeping a beady eye on the furry lump.
We had seen another crow, vaguely hanging around with this lad.
Mother, we thought, calling him to stay out of trouble.
Nope. It’s a girlfriend, persuaded now to join in.
Her feathers were a bit disordered this morning. But he didn’t seem to notice.
Being far more concerned about Big Grey’s next move.
Grey is sometimes a little possessive.
Poor Zoomer. He’s such a little guy. He needs to join forces with Red:
He chases Gray off. Nothing scares him!
We have bunnies too, but fortunately, their requirements seem to be different and they are happy to graze on whatever they find.
So what if it’s in my flowerbeds.
I think that was a couple of teenage pigeons arranging to meet behind the bike shed when Mum’s not around!