This view did not inspire rushing outside this morning, so we lingered over breakfast, beginning our day watching Eddie Izzard skits on Grant’s phone.
His “sound effects” are priceless.
It’s always good to start the day with a laugh.
Finally, though, I could no longer ignore our avian friends that were waiting for us to emerge and replenish the flooded seed trays:
Little Red had to fish for his morning meal.
Though he seemed to think the situation was an improvement over yesterday:
Wow! It was a free-for-all.
We had sighted a Red-winged Blackbird on Monday and decided he was scouting for his flock that had got wind of early Spring.
We laughed and said, “you’d better go back and tell them to wait, lad!”
Although, last weekend we got 4 inches of “flurries”, so maybe this week the “Winter Storm Watch” will turn into just a flake or two.
The flock, however, were over-anxious and arrived yesterday, en-masse, swooping down suddenly to the annoyance of the disconcerted sparrows.
Poor little chap!
Red-wing Alpha Squadron having touched down, I had no sooner sat down than (as usual) I was summoned back to the window.
There outside, jostling for seed were their hangers-on.
Brown-headed Cowbirds.
“Oi! That’s ours!” yelled the sparrows as they got pushed out.
“No fair. You’re bigger than us!”
Sparrows called a retreat into the bushes where they could sulk and discuss strategy.
“I’m not taking on 3 lady-Cowbirds” said Sparrow leader: “I’m off!”
Lady Cowbirds are a bit pushy. They sometimes lay their eggs in Red wing nests.
“Who, me? I’d never do such a thing!”
“Too, right, she would!” whispers her mate.
“Lazy cow! Tee he he.”
Juvenile Red-wing was watching all of this in amazement.
“So why do we hang out with them?” he asked.
“Well, Junior, it’s like this, you see…”
“Mother Nature says we must.”
(Or something like that.)
Juveniles trade brown feathers for smart red flashes.
“We girls are just misunderstood.”
Mrs Cowbird taking notes at the boys club.
“Phew! That’s a scrum!”
Even the stroppy Blue jay was taken aback.
As is my want, I went into worry-mode.
“It’s going to get cold again and what if it snows?”
Mother Nature knows best.
Meanwhile, revived after their long journey north, Red-wing leader called a truce and requested a meeting of the United Avians in the nearest bush.
Last I heard, they were working it out.
Wow! You had a lot of bird action.
It’s a lovely time of year for avian shenanigans. There is no doubt that the sparrows have lots of committee meetings to decide on tactics!
Indeed they do. Noisy ones!
It was definitely a mass meeting of some sort … with free food on the side! And you’re right, we need to start the day with a good laugh (or if else fails, then just a smile … and that’s what your photo’s brought to me this morning).
When the wood pigeons drive the sparrows off the food in my back garden, they all fly into a shrub and sit squawking until the big birds have had their fill. Size is important in nature, and so is an aggressive attitude. We are lucky that no longer applies so much in our human society, except when it comes to being served in a bar. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.