Back Yard Birdie Theater

[gnomi]

On Sunday, when mabfan was at Odyssey, I was out in Burlington (MA) visiting my parents. One of the joys of where they live is the abundance of random wildlife (bunnies, groundhogs, squirrels, and many, many, many birds) that comes through the back yard. And since lcmlc started putting bird feeders on the back porch, the birds (and occasional others) come up really close to the house. I've taken to calling the show "Back Yard Birdie Theater." And on Sunday, I took a bunch of photos. Here are some of my favorites:

Red Squirrel

Blue Jay

Mourning Dove

Male Cardinal in Feeder

Two Goldfinches and a Cardinal

Again, Red Squirrel

Yofi, the cat in my icon, was always fascinated by Back Yard Birdie Theater, and she was gone long before lcmlc started putting up the feeders. She'd just sit and watch them, hoping they'd occasionally come up to the porch. I can only imagine how she'd react to the current goings-on on the porch.

Comments

[theodosia.livejournal.com]

Heh. I know somebody (in MN) who deliberately feeds the squirrels on her deck for her cat's entertainment.

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

Heee!

The blue jays used to divebomb our cats (at peak, we had three cats and a dog, all of whom were indoor-outdoor pets). The cats would retaliate by trying to eat the birds when they got close.

[michelel72.livejournal.com]

I've fed random bread scraps to the squirrels for years, solely to entertain the household cats. This past week I went out and bought actual birdseed because while the cats will watch the squirrels, they lose it when they get to see birds up close. So instead of spending time or money on cat toys, I just throw various foodstuffs out there and entertain myself watching the cats.

The squirrels are going through the birdseed quickly enough, though, that I may have to buy an actual feeder.

I've also ended up with three stray (possibly feral) cats coming to me for food. There were birds eating seed on the railing this morning while the newest cat was on the floor of the deck eating kibble -- very "lion and lamb" out there.

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

My mom's been tossing bread scraps and the like to the birds and squirrels for years. But now she's got actual feeders for birdseed, and the birds think this is the greatest thing going. I got to see just how quickly they come after she's finished filling -- almost as fast as she's returned to the house (and, remember, the feeders are on the porch, so it's just a matter of opening the door and entering).

Backyard Birdie Theatre

[lcmlc.livejournal.com]

Love the pictures. The 2 goldfinches and a cardinal are the "Where's Waldo" of the post.

Re: squirrels - our experience is that if you try to attract them (Abba likes to watch their antics) you get lots and lots and lots of squirrels. I showed gnomi the "Sculpture by Squirrels" on the side porch. About 4 inches of whittled stair rail supporting column. They also will out-eat the birds and have been known to spend 40 minutes straight glommed oto a feeder and devouring the contents. Best of luck seeing birds without squirrels - "squirrel proof" is like "child proof" - determination and persistence overcomes obstacles.