A Hood For Cassidy
On a non knitting topic, I'm thinking about teaching etiquette lessons to birds. We have some serious pig birds around here who can empty the bird feeder in 24 hours. Unfortunately, most of what they're doing is flipping the seed they don't want onto the ground. After they empty the feeder, I make them eat off the ground for 48 hours before I refill the feeder. They have beaks after all and they are pointy beaks (there are no ducks at the feeder - I'd probably have a heart attack if a duck showed up as I was tormented by ducks as a small child. I have duck issues.) Why can't they take their pointy beaks and pick up the seeds they want and leave the others where they are? Instead they sweep their beaks back and forth in the little seed pile and knock 95% of it on the ground. It does give the bunnies (can't fly to the feeder) and the lump birds (too fat for the feeder) something to eat, but we're going through bird seed around here like Big Bird does. I'm not even asking the baby birds to learn manners, they can keep squawking and fluttering their cute little wings all day, but I think the older birds (who are supposed to be setting an example for the little birds) could do better.
Labels: Cardigans
posted by Melanie at 8:26 AM
6 Comments:
lol at the ducks, sorry, we have a mallard pair that show up each summer. Found them in the front yard the other morning so it's officially summer! Here it isn't always the birds fault. I find squirrels hanging upside down by their tail from the feeders many times dumping seed onto the floor.
I'm totally on your side when it comes to birds who are picky eaters. After continually 'feeding' my feeder with more and more food, only to find most of it in the grass below, I had to find another solution. Though, more expensive, I started buying birdseed without shells or husks. The birds seemed to like it better, and I found less of the seed growing in the ground below the feeder.
I'm loving your Cassidy. I frogged my first one, because I think I'm the only person in the knitting world who doesn't like Cascade 220.
The Cascade just doesn't work for me. You've given me the insentive to try Cassidy again, with another yarn option. Thank you for a great blog!! Patty11752@aol.com
We used to buy bulk seed where ever we found it and had the same thing happen. Stopped in at a bird supply store to get a new hummingbird feeder and discovered that the majority of seeds in these bulk seed bags aren't seeds the birds normally eat. The store had seeds that were specific to the birds in this area. Learned a lot talking to the manager on the subject and most of the seed that's knocked out of the feeder looks to be by accident.
The birds out here in NOVA just can't stand up to the squirrels. I don't mind the spillage -- just want the squirrels to scram!
We have a squirrel proof birdfeeder and the squirrels have not been able to crack it. So, they sit underneath and eat all the seeds the birds fling out. We have one woodpecker who is much too big for the feeder but still gets on one of the perches and reaches around to an opening on the other side and flings it around like a grass seed spreader.
But I find it comes and goes in waves. I can't keep it full for a while and then it lasts for a couple of weeks at other times.
We had a feeder that had a large slot across the front, and all the seed just went flying! My hubby took some metal and snipped out openings about 3/4" wide in it, and fit it into that slot, and now not as much seed falls out.
vtcjan@yahoo.com
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