Date: Mon, 17 Feb 2003 14:14:02 EST Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Elise Kreiss Subject: Feeder Birds MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit The usual rules don't apply today. The seed is spread directly on the back porch off the kitchen. We can't afford to waste any more food buried under the snow; and it is being rationed. Shyness is set aside, and we eat together; me at the window looking down the birds, some glancing over at me. On my back porch today, the expected birds came - White-throated Sparrows, Cardinals, Titmice, Chickadees, a few Juncos, a horde of House Sparrows that take off repeatedly with a muffled roar before drifting back; and some unexpected birds as well - groups of about twenty Grackles, three male Cowbirds, a male Towhee, four Blue Jays, one male Red-winged Blackbird and half a dozen females. A few Mourning Doves braved the porch, and a single squirrel. The squirrels are doing a pretty good job today, making snow tunnels and coming up with snow-covered seed. The birds explore the paths they leave. We had a Sharp-shined Hawk come through yesterday, leaving a dead House Sparrow behind it. I imagined being interviewed, "No officer, I never saw it lay a talon on the bird. It just flew through, and next thing I know, there was the body." The Sharpie landed in a mulberry, where a single Grackle remained above it, chucking. After the hawk flew off, the Grackle took possession of the body. We had a couple of crows in the main feeder area, which is unusual. I've always imagined they don't like that closed in feel - the house, trees, bushes, a wood and a brush pile. One of them hung down from a tree, Nuthatch-like, and ate from the suet feeder. Fewer Goldfinch than I'd expect today. Those that do arrive seem to be having trouble, trying different perches, and not staying in feeding position (upside down; it is that sort of feeder) for very long. Short looks at our two Nuthatches and a glimpse of one Carolina Wren. I expect that they miss finding peanut splits in their accustomed feeders. One Song Sparrow yesterday, one Pileated Woodpecker, Downies, and a Red-bellied Woodpecker. Low on rations, I did some cooking today. One cake of plain suet, mixed with the mysterious frozen remains of several jars. A little cobwebby corn meal, very old coconut, possibly some bulgur, a rotten apple, and a little corn oil to make the consistency just right. I put part of it out on the squirrel ground feeder. The drill there seems to be - the English Sparrows descend - a Grackle lands and scares them away - the squirrel notes the Grackle on the (usually peanut-filled) feeder and comes over to claim it - sniffs the mess, decides it is ineatable, and moves off. Repeat. Elise Kreiss Baltimore, MD 21216 ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================