Bird Story

A couple of years ago we received as a gift from friends a pretty bird feeder of wood and acrylic. It had a spacious bin, which when filled would dispense enough birdseed out its bottom onto a wooden tray fixed to the base. Threaded through this base was a wood dowel that projected horizontally on two sides to give the birds secure perches where they could gorge their birdie stomachs in relative safety. The feeder was hung using a bent wire coathanger from a 2x6 beam above the deck, which kept the feeding birds beyond the reach of our cat.

The feeder withstood the elements well, surviving a stormy winter with hardly any damage, though a bit of mold and mildew needed to be cleaned out in the spring.

The following summer, while we were out of town, some large creature, perhaps a woodpecker or a squirrel, ate away at the wooden base, and in a matter of weeks the rim of the base had been completely eaten away, and the birdseed kept spilling over the edge.

We never discovered who the culprit was who demolished the beautiful feeder.

Our next bird feeder was plastic, and was in the form of a transparent upright tube, from which projected six little perches beside round windows through which the birds could feed. This was not as easy to fill as the wooden feeder, as the screw-on lid at the top was only about two inches wide, and spillage resulted. Also it did not hold as much birdseed as its predecessor, thus requiring a higher level of maintenance than before. Besides, it was lighter in weight and swayed a lot in the wind, though this did not seem to bother the birds, who must have enjoyed the seesaw ride as they fed.

The next winter we forgot to take the feeder down before a storm. It flew away in a high wind and ended up broken into pieces in the bushes far below.

Our newest feeder is also plastic, in the shape of a gazebo. It too is lightweight, but it seems to be rugged enough, and it can be quickly replaced if it is damaged beyond hope of repair.

I can see the birds feeding from my kitchen window. I delight in watching them, never mind that they leave their calling cards on the rail of the deck. Most of the birds that show up to feed are tiny ones, finches and sparrows mainly, but once in a while we get some big guys, like bluejays and robins, who have a hard time finding a clawhold on the narrow platform holding the birdseed. They are heavier, and the bird feeder tilts at a sharp angle when they land there, spilling seed.

What I enjoy watching particularly is the way a tiny bird approaches the feeder. It comes sailing across the backyard from the far end, from beyond the live oaks, the fig tree, the jacaranda, and the nearby Brazilian pepper tree, heading straight in the direction of the feeder. I would estimate its airspeed at about 30 m.p.h., maybe more. A tiny grey bullet.

It does not land on the feeder tray right away. First it settles on a bougainvillea branch, or on a vine-like wisteria twig, within a foot or two of the feeder. From there it hops onto the feeding tray. It pecks a number of times, looks up, looks around, pecks a bit more. Repeats the process a few times. And then, like a shot, it takes off again.

It heads back in the direction from whence it came. Its flight is not as straight as before. On its outward journey, it rises, dips, rises, and dips. It's as though, having taken on an added load of fuel, it requires a bit more wing effort and lift to stay airborne, and in a straight line.