Normally it wouldn't be a problem because of the type of feeders I use (which tend to exclude non-clinging birds such as pigeons. However I like to see the Black-headed grosbeaks in the yard so I hang a single platform feeder. The pigeons, until this morning, could easily access that feeder. I modified the feeder by threading a heavy wire through the three chains that hang the feeder... about 5-6" above the feeding platform. The pigeons now can't land on the feeder and I've had no more problems all day. And incidentally, I had two male grosbeaks and one female grosbeak on or around the feeder at one time today.
I also made a very small feeding area immediately adjacent to my manufactured brush pile where birds (towhees, Song sparrows and the now resident chipmunk) can access food without exposing themselves to cats or other predators.
I'm still not happy with the exact location of my bird bath by the brush pile so I need to do some repositioning with it.
On the photography end of today's activities I photographed the California quail family (two adults and five chicks) and a sub-adult American robin eating berries from the Oregon grape bush near the house. I got photos of several other birds that I'm not going to mention now.
Beautiful bird shots! It looks like the new camera is doing fine now. Some curious bird observations in Bellevue: The hummingbirds have almost quit feeding. I still see and hear many in the yard, but not at the feeders. With the cool spring, the juncos apparently nested here rather than going to the mountains as usual. Before the heat wave I saw an adult feeding three on the patio. Our black headed grosbeaks may have already raised their young and left, or maybe like us, they just couldn't stand the hords of raucous begging juvenile starlings.
ReplyDeleteElliott