Intruder alert

I'm going to have to rethink the bird table. It is attracting
unwelcome guests. Brother Rat has been spotted, late at night, having
a good old feed, and giving our house guest a scare as she returned
from an evening out. Rat droppings are there for all to see. I need to
get a feeder that won't allow the birds to spill the seeds on the
ground. Now the hanging suet feeder seems to work quite well. I think
I will stick with that until I work out a better rodent proof
solution.

Puffball identified

I found the name of the minute grey puffball of a bird that I was
referring to yesterday. It is the bushtit - they often cover the suet
feeder in numbers of nine or more.
More info about this bird is in this link about common garden birds in
this region
http://www.jbwalker.com/WalkerFownes/Hiking/Local/Yard%20birds.shtml

Rice attraction

There was some rather ancient cooked rice in the rice cooker, so I put it out there. A little white mountain on the bird table. When I say bird table, its actually a big honking garden table covered by a green tarpaulin, so it is a large expanse for the feathered creatures to come in to feed and drink and generally make quite a mess. There is now an ongoing drama on this table outside our kitchen window.

Clubfoot crow and his mate Billy barged on to the feeder today. Clubfoot has a lame left foot. He can out his weight down on his foot but the claws just hang there, lifeless and are no use to him. I wonder how that accident happened - a car maybe? I imagine a crow hobblig along is very vunerable. Anyway he gets through and is able to perch and fly with little problem. The crows are very smart, though show little finesse, just ambling straight to the prize - the rice - and take their fill - and then they are off, probably to the next bird table. Makes me wonder what it is like looking down above all the houses from a bird's eye view. Until recently, I never put out any bird seed, now I guess our house is on the list of venures to check out for free food.

The usual routine is happening. Pushy sparrow has scooted the reticent juncos away and is bobbing up and down, eating the seed. A black capped chickadee comes and goes, seemingly unsure as to whether it is safe to eat here or not. I think how lucky I am to experience a slice of their lives - I am enjoying this moment.

Circle of Life

I've been feeding the birds in our back garden. Winter time is particularly tough for those winged creatures. After some research, the winner of the prize for most common visitor to the bird table is: (drum roll, please) - the Oregon junco - a dark hooded bird with white breast, brown wings and a distinctive white flash of colour in the tail that you see when it flies away. The junco comes each day, sometimes just appears just after I open the curtains in the morning. Of course, who the heck knows, it could have been chomping down on the seed from the feeder for hours. A more aggressive visitor is a streaked sparrow - I think it is a Vesper sparrow. It is slightly bigger than the junco with a brown and white streaked breast, quite a handsome bird. There is always enough food on the bird table, but this puppy always shoos away the junco and chases them from their perch in the nearby Japanese maple.

There are also some very small birds I have identified yet - the size of wrens but much longer tails, and they come to the garden in packs of a dozen at least, sometimes twenty or thirty, descending and picking up grubs or hanging on the suet feeder. Equally as suddenly they all take off, as if spooked by something. Strange thing is that they are tame as all get out, as I was walking past them yesterday and must have been two feet away. There they were perching on the clothes line chattering to me.

Yesterday there was a major scare for them, as I caught sight of a hawk in the garden, trying to catch one of them. That is an unusual sight, at least in the back garden. So I am putting out feed, attracting the birds and no doubt rodents, and that in turn is drawing their predators. Life is harsh, but it is vibrant. I love seeing their lively and engaging activity up close.