Thursday, February 24, 2005

The woodpecker has landed

I woke to see a woodpecker on our bird feeder this morning. It really shocked me. The weather has been continually snowy and, judging by the number of bird varieties flocking to our feeders, it's been a hard time for my avian friends.

It just shows how much difference a week can make in the bird world. Word (or chirpy gossip) really has got round. No longer do I only have a robin and blue/great tit community. There was a greenfinch, a nuthatch, starlings, long-tailed tits (what i originally thought were wagtails) and blackbirds. It really is a lovely sight to behold.

Apparently now that I've started feeding them though, I'm not allowed to stop (so says the peanut packet). Something akin to chain letters and the fear of death, or simply that the birds will come to depend on me for food. I won't stop feeding them though. I've bought seeds (got blue and grey tits), moved on to peanuts and suet in a coconut (got all the rest). Even if i have to start buying frozen mice for the golden eagles that will ultimately descend on my patch I'll keep buying the food. I imagine it's something like drug addiction only with bird species: start with coffee, and before you know it you're buying heroin in the dirty bogs of the Prince George, just to get the bigger, better feeling.

Roll on albatross. I'll have mackerel waiting for you.

1 comment:

Shinykatie said...

All that, but we haven't had any sparrows at all. Unbelievable.