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| A winter painting from Norma Boeckler |
We attended the wedding of two college students, newly graduated, on Saturday. I told a Texas resident that winter is mild here and it hardly snows. During the wait - we arrived early - the slight drizzle got serious and turned to snow later on Saturday night. Now it is 5 degrees, colder than Friendship Sunday at a WELS church.
Previously, I noticed that the squirrels had taken over the birdfeeders, standing on the platform feeder, ignoring the corn, and teaming up on the squirrel-proof feeder. This allowed two squirrels to stand on their individual spots and twirl the hanging feeder filled with sunflower seeds. They made it their lazy susan, so I conspired against them. No birds were stopping by, because they waved them away, like King Kong swatting at fighters on top of the Empire State Building.
On Friday, I had already moved the hanging feeder to another hook, where their only support for feeding was the wall of the house. They could, one at a time, reach over and feed. I filled it to the brim with black oil sunflower seeds and waited. No creature ate from it Friday, which is normal, because any change makes them wary, cautious, and alert. Friday was also pleasant weather, not driving their hunger needs.
Therefore, after the wedding, with the weather turning horrid, the birds began landing on their newly filled and fairly isolated hanging feeder. When birds feed in bad weather, it is the sign of a longer siege. We had chickadees and cardinals taking their turns in groups, because the design of the inexpensive feeder allows up to six birds at a time.
The squirrels were not around to annoy them. "Aha," I thought. Now you are outnumbered and awkward about the new location. We could view them easily from the same location, the bedroom window where we have a large Butterfly Bush that serves as a perch for the birds and an elevator for the squirrels.
However, I noticed one of the squirrels hopping around the yard, jumping into the wheelbarrow, acting suspiciously. A guilty squirrel runs when no one is pursuing, as Proverbs would say.
On Sunday I checked the seed can for more supplies. I just opened a new sack of sunflower seeds and thought the birds would like a refill for an icy, snowy day.
The lid was off. I looked inside. The top layer of seeds consisted of empty hulls - hundreds of empty hulls. I had given the tree rodents a wonderful opportunity when I filled the can, not securing the lid as I usually do. They feasted from my folly, and I laughed.
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| "Why fight with birds when we have a garbage can full of fresh sunflower seeds?" |