Bird amusement park
I have this great amusement park for birds outside my office window. It's not just the agapanthus flowers that send the hummingbirds into sugar extasy, or the hawks that make a game out of scaring the bejeesus out of the local pigeons (more power to the hawks).
No, it's that time of year when the ornamental grasses are putting up their nice three to four foot seed stalks. We have lots of finches that just love these seeds. But, the stalks aren't really strong enough to support the bird's weight. I get to watch these birds struggle to get the seeds out without landing on the stalks and finally give up -- either landing on the stalk and pecking at it or flying off to try another one. Of course, the landings are the entertaining ones. The stalk will hold the bird's weight for just long enough for one or two seed extractions, then it will start to bend over. The fun starts when it just about doubles over, eventually leading to the bird frantically taking off and/or trying to hover -- looking like the stalk has just thrown the bird up into the air.
Ok, maybe it's not all that amusing to the birds, but it's fun for me to watch! And of course they know I'm writing about them as now there's not a one to be seen.
Next time -- the skunks that were living under our front walk.....
No, it's that time of year when the ornamental grasses are putting up their nice three to four foot seed stalks. We have lots of finches that just love these seeds. But, the stalks aren't really strong enough to support the bird's weight. I get to watch these birds struggle to get the seeds out without landing on the stalks and finally give up -- either landing on the stalk and pecking at it or flying off to try another one. Of course, the landings are the entertaining ones. The stalk will hold the bird's weight for just long enough for one or two seed extractions, then it will start to bend over. The fun starts when it just about doubles over, eventually leading to the bird frantically taking off and/or trying to hover -- looking like the stalk has just thrown the bird up into the air.
Ok, maybe it's not all that amusing to the birds, but it's fun for me to watch! And of course they know I'm writing about them as now there's not a one to be seen.
Next time -- the skunks that were living under our front walk.....