Do birds feel sadness?

Dad claiming the nesting box

The privilege of having a pair of birds select your garden and your nesting box to raise a family, cannot be underestimated. Such was our luck when the House Wren pair chose to make whoopee and lay eggs right outside the living room window in a gorgeous nesting box hung up especially for first-time renters. For a few weeks we watched them add twigs to the nest through the tiny hole.  We saw one of them in and out of the next for a couple of weeks (I know now that it was the male feeding the female while she incubated the eggs). I watched a female Brown-headed Cowbird try to gain entry into the nesting box but that entrance hole was so tiny, she could only fit her head in thankfully.

Last week we noticed food was being carried to the nest by both Wrens - although the male and female look identical, the speed of the food coming in, confirmed it couldn't be just one bird. The male would dance a little jig every now and again and sing with a mouth full of food which reminded me of Neo trying to bark with a ball in his mouth. Too cute. With Janet and Tracey visiting, this special viewing just added to the fun week we were having. Sitting inside with all the doors closed and the AC blowing, we could still hear the screams from the nest as hungry mouths demanded to be fed.

On Friday and Saturday there was a lot of action at the nest and the noise the chicks made was amazing. Raucous, like kids frolicking nest to a swimming pool on a hot day. Many times one of us grabbed the binoculars and when standing at a certain angle on the top step, you could sort-of see into the tiny, dark hole. We counted 4 mouths moving in the dark - a lot of grocery shopping to do for this couple. Tracey and Janet both left for home on Sunday morning and we weren't in the living room for most of the day, getting the house ready for a friend coming to visit. Ruth arrived late on Sunday.

This morning (Monday), the kids were extra vocal and coming towards the front of the hole so Ruth and I spent time trying to get a few photos. Something I was trying to get a shot of, was the parent leaving with the fecal sac (the babies don't poop in the nest as that would get quite mucky so when mom or dad pokes their butt, they poop into a sac/bag and the very patient parent, picks it up and flies off with it before disposing of it far away) so I had zoomed in quite a bit.  I noticed a bit of the nesting material sticking out of the hole but paid it no mind as the Wrens were ignoring it, hanging on and feeding those crazed yellow gapes. Over and over.

The tiny leg sticking out of the nesting hole

A bit later, Ruth noticed the nesting material and another close-up view of the nest confirmed it was in fact a bird foot sticking out. Not pretty. We assumed one of the chicks had not made it. We briefly discussed removing the chick but were slightly freaked out so decided to leave it as it wasn't bothering the adults constantly bringing food. Later Jacques came upstairs and when I pointed it out, he said he would remove it. As freaked out as I was, I had my camera at the ready.

Hubby going above and beyond

Plastic shopping bag, disposable glove and step ladder in hand, he went out to the nest. He reached up and pulled. It turned out not to be an easy task but he did remove the chick and place him in the bag for me to look at. I was horrified to see it wasn't a chick, but an adult. It was starting to decompose with the heat we've been having, this tiny body wouldn't need too long so assumed it happened yesterday. I couldn't see any obvious reasons why it died. Without identifying marks, there was no way to know whether this was mom or dad.

I let my sisters know as they were quite invested in this family all of last week. Tracey asked the question "Do you think birds feel sadness?". It was a good question and one that did give pause for thought before I answered that I didn't think so as the other adult had been in and out of the nest all day, hanging on to the nest hole with that decomposing leg blocking part of the entrance and it didn't seem to be a problem.

Rest in Peace Mr Wren

So the adults we had been watching all morning, turned out to be just one. After much thought, I sadly realized that the male was the one in the now-sealed shopping bag. The lack of dancing and calling at the nest has gone and only the sounds of demanding teenagers remains. I would like to think that he went bravely into the night after defending his children from something with a sharp bill, looking for a tasty treat.


What an incredible feat for mom though.  No time to feel sorry for herself, she just picked up feeding duties of her quadruplets and can be seen entering the nest (she is entering now that dad isn't blocking the entrance any more) with bug after spider after worm after fly. Minute after minute. I am eternally grateful my garden is wild and the insects have produced in their hordes this summer as she is going to need all the help she can get raising those kids, getting them off to college and eventually kicking them out of the nest.  I only hope I am home and look up from my laptop screen at just the right time to see that miracle. 



Until then I am sending happy thoughts for this single mother family that are going to need all the happy thoughts they can get.

The Case of the Fallen Post and the Missing Suet

Day One
I look out into the front garden and see that the right most bird feeder's metal post is lying on its side. Jacques and I immediately go outside to start the investigation, camera at the ready just in case we see something juicy. At this stage we are both convinced it is a bear as what else would have the strength to push the post over. We are somewhat excited. We both check the ground and feeders for any kind of evidence. No visible footprints as the posts are in the grass. The metal post is not bent or broken. The baffle that keeps the squirrels from climbing the pole and getting to the feeders, is still in tact. The suet feeders that were hanging off the post are on the ground (empty) but not damaged in any way like a bear would do. 
Eventual Conclusion:  Ground is soggy after the rain and the post must have fallen over by itself. Birds and squirrels enjoyed finishing the suet before we had got ourselves out of bed, as it was on the ground and very easy to get to. Pole is re-seated and pushed firmly into the ground to prevent further mini/bear heart attacks.

Days Two to Seven
No incidents to report. 

Day Eight
No incidents to report.  
I am however very tired of feeding insane amounts of seed to Grackles and Cowbirds, so today I order a new seed feeder from Amazon - a hopper type that only the small birds will be able to access.

Day Nine
No incidents to report.

Day Ten
No incidents to report.
The new feeder arrived today from Amazon. I happily take down the two large feeders which have helped to empty my seed coffers and do some rearranging of feeders across my three posts.  The left most one now has a Hummingbird feeder dangling from one "branch" and a new orange feeder for the Orioles hanging opposite it. The middle post now has a small platform feeder (the only place the larger birds can get seed) and a suet feeder. My right most post has another suet feeder (the upside down kind that only the woodpeckers can grab on to, so the suet lasts at least two weeks) and then my brand new seed hopper that the smaller birds can finally enjoy. Suet and seed are topped up late afternoon.

Day Eleven
When sitting down at my desk to work for the day, I notice that the upside down woodpecker suet feeder is hanging at an angle and empty. Not sure how this could be possible as I had filled it up the previous afternoon. I see the baffle is a little lower than normal so assume a squirrel managed to jump up over it and helped itself.  I fill up the suet holder, completely forgetting to reset and tighten the baffle. None of the other posts or feeders have been touched so I'm somewhat puzzled but not concerned.

Day Twelve
This morning I am not happy to see that not only is the upside down suet feeder once again at an angle and empty, but my brand new seed hopper is on the ground and empty too. I curse the squirrels who I am convinced are working together to get over the baffle. I have a mental picture of a squirrel pyramid but don't think it's cute for a second. I mutter and rearrange the feeders once again. Thankfully my new feeder isn't damaged at all. The new seed hopper is moved to the middle post and the extra suet feeder is moved to the right post. I heighten the baffle and secure it whilst making sure it is suitably floppy.

Day Thirteen
Dammit! This morning both suet feeders are empty. I cannot figure out how anything is getting past the baffle and onto the feeders. I once again check and cannot see teeth marks or damage to the feeders. The suet is just gone. I decide to leave everything empty.

Day Fourteen
No incidents to report. I share my frustrations with my friend Anne and after going through a few options, she has an idea of who the culprit might be. I fill up just the one suet feeder to see how it goes tonight.

Day Fifteen
Guess what... The suet is gone this morning. The feeder has been picked apart but not harmed so I piece it together again. Instead of suet, I leave both feeders empty and instead put fruit on the feeder just before dark. I log onto Amazon and place an order for a wildlife camera with night vision.

Day Sixteen
Unsurprisingly the fruit disappeared overnight. The baffle is lower than normal which tells me something heavy must have pushed down on it. I check closely and see bits of apple lying on top of the baffle. Almost as if something had messily nibbled above it, dropping tiny bits in the process. I am not upset this morning at all. I fill both suet feeders so the birds have something to eat during the day but put a reminder on my phone to bring the feeders into the house before dark. 
Around 8pm I bring the feeders in and I place a small piece of suet and half a corn on the cob (mealie) into the suet cage built onto the pole as it is hard to open so anything accessing it, will be forced to be creative. I can't wait to see what it looks like tomorrow morning. I find myself shining a light onto the feeder every now and again through the window just in case I catch the culprit in the act. I am excited that my wildlife cam is arriving tomorrow.
As I get into bed, I hear an excited call from another part of the house. Checking he house before bed, Jacques wandered over to the window, just to have one last check of course. I rush to the window and see a very nervous grey shadow sniffing around the bottom of the left hand post. An Opossum! Can this be the culprit? He's very skittish and quickly disappears into the shrubbery. Personally I think he is too short and can't see him getting over the baffle. Where is that camera?!

Day Seventeen
I wake up before dark and go for a short hike (okay, it was some early morning birding) so don't have time to check the feeders. When I get home, there's a Titmouse on the suet cage so I can't be sure if the suet and corn haven't been eaten by birds while I was out.
Making coffee, hubby casually mentions that he read for a bit before putting the light off last night and couldn't resist another peek before he turned in. A racoon was sniffing around the feeders and was reaching up to the right hand most baffle but was put off by the light so disappeared into the night. A racoon? Jacques is convinced this is our culprit but I am still wondering if he can get past the baffle.
The wildlife camera arrived with the mail around 2pm and I spend a little time setting it up. Then Jacques spends time actually setting it up properly :-) 
I leave a suet feeder hanging from the post and the camera is mounted on a tripod and placed in the garden. Jacques does a few tests before we call it a night. Now we wait...

Day Eighteen
I let the dogs out early and see it is drizzling so skulk into the front garden in my pj's and bring the tripod in. The box says its waterproof but who really knows so I don't want to take a chance. I go back to bed.
I'm finally up and grab the SD card from the camera on the way to my desk. I put the card into the slot on my laptop and bring up the File Explorer to see what videos are waiting for me. There are a few blurry videos of Jacques setting up the camera last night and one of the corner of my pj's as I trigger the video while picking up the tripod. That's it! Ugh! 
I glance through the window and see the roof of the once-again bare suet feeder is at an angle so I know the culprit was busy on top of the feeder last night. How frustrating. I will have to play more with the camera angles today to make sure it picks up all movement.  
The camera is set up less than 2 metres away from the top of the feeder before we go to bed. Let's see what happens...
 
Day Nineteen
After a quick dash out in the rain this morning at 6am to collect the camera (yes, in my pj's again), I opened it up and left it to dry in the dining room before going back to bed. I patiently read in bed waiting for Jacques to wake up but eventually I couldn't hold out and got up to hopefully solve the mystery once and for all. Opening up the files on the SD Card, I was thrilled to see one at 3:07am. This had to be something. I eagerly click on the file and am immediately confronted with the bandit.
He is using his nimble fingers to open up the suet feeder and casually takes out the entire cake.

https://youtu.be/uQ8xehYnEY4 (a link to the video if you are using an iPad or iPhone)

I do know that I'm not completely thrilled at the idea of a raccoon beating the baffle and eating about $20's worth of suet in a couple of weeks. I would however love to know how he does that.  


Episode Two to follow...

The Battle of the Tail Ends

While waiting for the coffee machine to warm up this afternoon, I happened to glance out the kitchen window and witnessed what turned out to be a rather interesting battle for the two bread crusts I had thrown out onto the lawn after lunch.


Typically I don't worry too much about the wholewheat frisbees (yes they take a wonderfully graceful flight if you flick your wrist just right) as they are grabbed by squirrels and whisked up the pine trees before I can blink.  Today was a little different.

Nibble and shove

There was a slight movement at the edge of the lawn where  one crust had landed and I could make out a chipmunk greedily nibbling away at the one side, while the other crust lay on the lawn out in the open. I watched as the chipmunk tore pieces off with his front teeth and shoved them into his cheeks. In a flash he was up and away, scuttling over the bed of withered pine needles and under a bush, reappearing on the other side of the bush before disappearing behind the large pine tree.  A few long seconds later, he appeared from behind the tree and followed the same path back to the "tail end". Nibbling and shoving continued.

I could see his cheeks just bursting from the bread but needed a better view. This was too good to not get my binoculars and camera from my desk so I sneaked back quietly.  I have to sneak around as the dogs bark and jump up and down when I get excited and look out the window as I'm usually very excited about a bird I just spotted.

Shove as much as you can into the left cheek

Then shove some more into the right cheek

Arriving back at my viewing point I spotted a squirrel in the middle of the lawn with the other end in its mouth. I watched both "fluffies" quietly and enjoyed the various ways they enjoyed their afternoon tea.  While the chipmunk was all about shoving in as much as he could before dashing off to disgorge the contents most likely into the waiting mouths of his family behind the pine tree, the squirrel quietly held the slice in his paws and gently nibbled the top and sides of the crust where the seeds had been.  He then slowly moved inwards towards the softness. Bite by gentle bite. Clearly in no rush.

I prefer my crusts "on" thanks

While the chipmunk was on one of his disgorging trips, a rather large squirrel arrived at the table. He looked around and then made a beeline for the open lawn and came up behind the already-dining squirrel. The peace of his afternoon nibble shattered, he grabbed his piece and made a mad dash for the trees.  After a short chase, the original squirrel clambered up a tree and the bully looked for an easier target.

The Bully enjoying his prize

During the chase, the chipmunk had sneaked back to his slice and another mouthful was on the way to the nest.  The bully heard him, spun around and gave chase.  About halfway to the chipmunk's pine tree, the squirrel stopped in his tracks and held his head up, sniffing the air.  He focused on a spot where the chipmunk had paused and dove head-first into the bed of needles coming up with a prize.  He appeared quite pleased with himself perched on a stick as he nibbled on his stolen bread.  A third squirrel arrived at the left over end and tackled it with glee. The chipmunk went home to rest and let his tea digest.

Can you help this squirrel find his dignity?

Normally I type strongly worded messages for my resident squirrels that involve death, the fires of Hell and the Crucio spell.  Today I have been thoroughly entertained and it is worth writing about while I sit feeling stupid with a huge grin on my face.

No self-respecting birder in NY puts a feeder up in their garden without making it squirrel proof. Wiring the pole up for shocking them to death is not actually a common solution - that common solution is called a baffle.  This is a metal device you mount on the pole under the feeders in the shape of an upside cone - it looks much like the one you put around your dog's neck to stop them from getting to a wound. The cone is stiff but the mechanism it hangs off keeps it loose and it flops around if you push it.

Typically the squirrel will shuffle up the pole and get to the inside top of the baffle and can't go any further. Any attempts to grasp the edge and leverage themselves over the edge, means a fling or a flop back to the ground. For entertainment value initially, I did lightly oil the poles but they caught on to me so stopped climbing.

During the freezing winter months, standing water quickly freezes up which leaves birds and mammals with nothing to drink. I purchased to bird bathes with a built-in heating element. It checks the temperature of the water and keeps it just under freezing so it isn't warm, but it is unfrozen. One bath is situated on the ground - great for mammals to get to and then I have another one on a pole for the birds near the feeders. I have enjoyed watching the birdies bathe while the temps are well below freezing.

This morning I was on a rather intense conference call and when I looked up, was surprised to see a squirrel on top of one of the bird feeders nibbling on suet. There is just no way he could have climbed over the baffle but to be sure, I went outside to check that it hadn't hooked up somehow and lost its "floppiness". It was working fine.  I checked the bird bath which was placed far enough away from the feeder and walked back to my desk with a puzzled look on my face.  I got distracted with my conference call and once again, I looked up and the bugger was gnawing at another suet ball while perched on top of the feeder pole. The water in the bird bath was still full so I didn't think it had used it as leverage as the bath is slightly off-center so just bumping it, would mean it would overflow or at least show small waves as it recovered. I went out again and to be sure, I rechecked the baffle and then moved the bird bath about 20 cms away from the feeder.  Back to my desk.

By the way, I am still on a conference call all this time, walking to and from the feeder with the portable phone in my hand...

This time, I sit down and keep my eyes peeled on the feeder. I was not going to miss it again.  In a couple of minutes, I see two squirrels chasing each other around the feeder.  The thinner one escapes to the Dogwood outside the window and the other hangs around under the feeders looking for scraps.  Next thing, he hops onto the edge of the bird bath and without thinking, launches himself at the feeder. He lands on the side of the baffle, it flops down under his weight with a crash against the pole (like a church bell) and flicks him off onto the ground. Stunned for a good couple of seconds, he is right back up on the bird bath.  I am sure that by now he is thinking that something has changed but he isn't quite certain what that is.

Sure enough, he launches himself off for a second time, this time he lands near the top of the baffle so there's less swinging, he scrambles against the bare metal for grip, doesn't find any and slides off the side along with his dignity. Again I can hear the thoughts going through his mind about how this worked a few minutes ago and then it didn't. Maybe it was the pole... So twice he scrambles up the pole, gets to the inside top of the baffle, reaches around and grabs the edge and lands on his butt along with the dignity he left there earlier.

My squirrels are determined although I prefer the word relentless which does conjure up visions of villains instead of Boy Scouts. He takes one more shot and is back on the bird bath. This time I can see he is considering his options before launch.  3, 2, 1 and he takes a giant leap towards the feeder.  Is now a good time to mention that when I moved the bird bath, I emptied it which took away some of the stability?

As he launches, the bird bath moves slightly to the left and he is flying through the air slightly off target. He somehow lands on the edge of the baffle and instead of flipping or flopping, it spins. He had managed to grab hold of the edge during the mad scramble and after a 180 degree ride, finally had to let go and ended up sprawled on the grass about 2-3 meters on the other side of the feeder and bird bath. He looked like a Frisbee flying through the air. By this time I was screeching with laughter and just thankful my phone was on mute. In my excitement I woke the snoozing dogs up and they jumped onto the back of the couch, which is window height, to see what had mommy all excited. Between the laughter and the barking, the squirrel decided to call it a day and it hopped off to the nearest Oak tree.

I'd like to believe that instead of using my normal Crucio spell, I went for the Confundo one instead. If you aren't sure what I mean, reread your Harry Potter books or ask Google for help.

Back to the next call. I'm still smiling as I finish typing this....

Dear Red-tailed Hawk

Dear Mr or Mrs Red-tailed Hawk,

I know you're tired and have just raised a couple of hungry chicks - that's a huge effort that I appreciate. I do however want to ask you what you fed them. They must have been driving you crazy at all hours of the day and part of the evening with hungry bellies that needed to be filled. I heard them screaming at you when I was outside playing with my dogs or filling the bird feeders. I would have expected you and your mate to become killing machines to ensure your brood had the best possible chance at life. 

In case you were a first time parent... Young hawks need meat. Lots of it. They need the calcium in the bones of that meat to help them grow big and strong. Without that they become floppy and useless as hawks. 

I am however sad to say that I think they are doomed. I think you fed them leaves and twigs which is why they stayed hungry and kept screaming at you. If you had considered their needs, you would have taken me up on my offering of fresh squirrels and chipmunks. All day long. Every day. Instead, you chose to ignore the offerings in my garden and for that your children will never live to see their real potential. I know we agreed that you wouldn't touch the cute little bunnies but for Pete's sake, could you not have made an effort to help rid my garden of this abundance of meat?!

I hear you outside now screaming and calling at the top of your lungs.  I think you're perched in one of the trees over my driveway.  You are sitting there calling and screaming and I don't even see any of the birds or meat offerings around my bird feeders, move. They don't show a high sense of "fight or flight" and are carrying on about their business as if nothing is threatening them. That's because nothing is threatening them thanks to you!

Do your job please and stop embarrassing your species (and your kids) before I have to call up the Cooper's Hawk to finish the job. Clear the backlog of offerings on my front lawn right away.  If you can take a Grackle or two with you, I'd really appreciate that as they too have multiplied in the past couple of weeks. Just remember to leave the Cottontails alone.

Sincerely

Occupier

Seeds or suet for dinner?

I was hardly in my new home when I logged into Amazon and looked for various kinds of feeders to adorn the garden with.  Birds needed to be enticed but not the squirrels. For those of you that follow me on Facebook, you will know the fun I have been having with my window bird feeder and a certain determined individual with a fluffy tail. I placed my bird feeders on my lovely expansive front lawn to give me the best view from the lounge (called a living room here by the way). I set up my scope and camera with a good view of the feeders and have really been entertained over the past few months with all their antics.  This blog entry is a little info about my feathered friends and what they get up to around the feeders.


One of the first birds that I observed feeding completely differently to birds I am used to was the White-breasted Nuthatch. They have long thin almost-upturned bills and looking at them I would imagine them being complete insectivores. When you watch them "working" the tree trunk, they start from the top and shuffle their way down so are always walking with their tails at the top and heads down while they probe under bark looking for insects hidden away. Quite comical as they also like to hang upside down like woodpeckers on branches and my suet feeder as it turns out, as they forage.
Much to my surprise, they were one of the first birds at the seed feeder. Seeds? After a couple of days the tree next to the window cleared of snow and a nuthatch perched there with something in his beak. He had taken a sunflower seed from the feeder, just one seed. He then flipped himself upside down and shoved the seed under a piece of bark. With his body still tail side up, he then started hammering against the shell to open it and eat the delicious morsel inside. Leaving the empty shell under the bark, he set off for another seed and repeated the process several times, each time under a different piece of bark. Not only did the seed eating surprise me, but the art of tucking it quickly under some bark to hold it still, was quite ingenious. In all this time, I have never seen him take anything other than sunflower seeds.
In similar behaviour ie. taking just one seed and flying off, the Tufted Titmouse likes to hold it between his toes and hammer away at the shell to get inside. I got rather a fright when in the kitchen one day, I heard this intense hammering against the window. I looked up and the titmouse was using the edge of the bird feeder to hammer out his breakfast.  All three of my woodpeckers take just one sunflower seed at a time and wedge it into a fork in the tree, rather than under the bark, also before they hammer it open and grab the bounty within. Watching a woodpecker that can't perch so folds himself double, getting seeds out of the feeder is quite comical but I'll save that for another day.

Apart from the hummingbirds, the catbirds and the orioles all other birds are pretty much after the seed offerings I put out. My seed mixture is made up of striped and black oil sunflower seeds, whole and shelled peanuts, whole and crushed corn, millet, flax, canary seed and safflower.  I have all of the seeds mixed up in these huge bins in the garage to make it easy for me but after observing the birds a bit more, I might be changing my feeding habits and putting certain seeds alone in feeders.

The Common Grackle are by far the messiest eaters especially when I put fresh seed out.  They are specifically interested in the shelled peanuts and will use their beaks to push everything out of the way until they get what they're after and briefly fly off.  This works out great for the doves who only stick to the ground and enjoy a shower of seeds at regular intervals but at the same time, they are making the squirrels and chipmunks fat. I have taken to sorting out and putting as few peanuts as possible into that feeder they
have easy access to. Due to the sheer number of grackles I have here (like pigeons back home), I have changed the weight setting on my squirrel-proof feeder. There's a perch/bar in front of the feeding holes that stays open or closes up, based on weight. With the grackles being the heaviest birds, I put it on the most sensitive setting and if they are lucky, the gap stays open just wide enough for them to get a few small seeds out at a time. It works best of course when more than one want to feeder together and their combined weight closes the gap completely.

Flapping wings to open gap

However, being the most incredible creatures ever, I watched a grackle regularly flapping his wings while at the feeder this morning. I eventually caught on that he had worked out that his weight was closing the gap to the seeds. He would flap his wings slightly to ease his weight off the bar and then launch himself forward to grab as many seeds as he could before the gap closed up again.

Grab as much as you can

He did this for about 15 minutes and was aggressive to any other bird that came near the bar, even the tiny sparrow. The other grackles waited their turns but none of them was as smart.  Sheer genius on his part and I gave him some silent applause. Hat off to him!

I have a pair of Northern Cardinals that are attached to each other. They spend most of the day flying around the garden, flashing their bright red feathers in the sun and then coming down to the feeder when it gets quiet. Funny thing though is that they never come down together. One of the pair will always stay in the tree or perch on a bush, while the other feeds. I have observed them for a few months now and the pattern doesn't change. When one of them is in possible danger or out in the open, the other stands guard. Not too long and they swap places to give the other a chance to feed. Initially I thought they may have been on a nest nearby but I'm thinking one plays a lookout role to keep each other safe.

Suet has become a daily necessity at the feeder, especially for those birds with chicks on a nest. The moms and dads are easy to spot as after a few greedy gulps of suet, they pick up as much as they can and fly off.  Here suet isn't just suet though. You buy suet with or without - grain, fruit, seeds and meal-worms.  The brand with the meal-worms has proven to be the most popular in my garden, especially the woodpeckers. Problem is that the woodpeckers don't get much of a chance to grab & go and putting out two suet cakes a day isn't economical for my pocket. I have ordered a new suet feeder that only has access from the bottom so the woodpeckers will have their own feeder.

Red-bellied Woodpecker

There seems to be a major requirement for almost all the birds in my garden for this protein-rich snack but I'm still learning about the right quantities of everything.  I think I need to get back to making my rice balls but turning them into rice cakes/slabs for the suet cages as putting them out in open feeders I brought from home, doesn't work. I tried large suet balls about the size of a tennis ball and couldn't understand why they kept disappearing after an hour or two. One afternoon I caught a crow flying off with this huge ball in his mouth. How he managed to pick it up was beyond me but he clearly had a need I couldn't understand.

The only bird I have never had near any of my feeders, is the American Robin. Being a thrush in disguise, he sticks to the shadows around the edge and every now and again, I hear him flipping over leaves looking for bugs to eat. I am lucky to have a large enough garden so have about 4 pairs of robins breeding around the house.  This morning I saw my first youngster - nicely speckled in front and a bit bolder than the parents as he came quite close to the feeder while I was filling it. He could fly very well and inspected the dove under the bird feeder before flying off. Their nests are usually well hidden and with the amount of greenery I have here, the nests could be anywhere.

Blue Jays have been another surprise for me at the seed feeder as I would have related them to shrikes based on look and aggression but they just love seeds, especially the corn (mealies). They are not loved by other birds (they just love munching nestlings!) and the dove will chase them away almost every time whereas the other birds will tolerate them. When the males were out courting a few weeks ago, they would land on the feeder pole and call out as loud as they could - they have a screeching kind of sound that wakes the neighbours.They must have babies now as they are flying off with mouthfuls of suet as soon as I can put it out.


I am up to 35 different species of birds that have come into or flown over my garden here in Armonk. I can only imagine how many others I have missed but remain optimistic that we shall remain friends. They have to be nice to the hand that feeds them after all.

Finding inner peace

Change is huge when you pack up your world and move it to another continent. You grasp at objects, thoughts and feelings that make you feel somewhat comfortable or at home but deep down you know you have to change everything to survive. It isn't as simple as learning to drive on the other side of the road or not being offended when the voice-activated GPS in your new car cannot understand a word you say so you still have to type in a detailed address every time you want to be directed somewhere. Planning a meal isn't as simple as it used to be as half the food you paired together, no longer exists. (Is now a good time to mention that I would give anything to taste a Woolies rotisserie chicken paired with a small wholewheat seeded roll?). Such is the same with birding...

I will always be insanely thankful to Jeanine for allowing us to stay in her home when we first arrived in New York. Somers is a delightful little town and it gave Jacques the opportunity to stay close to the office in a time when he needed the stability of not only changing his life, but tackling a tough new role at work.  I was able to spend a lot of my day looking into the line of trees close to the house, not only to admire the gorgeous snow scenes which appeared regularly, but also the incredible nature and wildlife on her doorstep. Within the first few days of arriving, I was drawn to the lounge (or living room as I now have to call it) windows to gaze out at the view. A few tiny footprints in the snow appeared when squirrels and chipmunks started to show themselves. Seeing wild deer walk through the back garden and hang around for hours under the trees on a particularly snowy day, gave me a sense of excitement. Then the first birds started hopping about in the snow and on bare branches outside the kitchen. That morning when I couldn't wait to pick up my camera and start snapping birds - something I have always felt should rather be left to the professionals - I found my mission. Get working on seeing as many new birds as possible.

From my first walk around the streets of Heritage Hills where I couldn't see through steamed up lenses or move the focus wheel on my binnies, I knew that birds would be my lifeline to adjusting. I didn't have a job to hang on to for some stability so the new birds and delights of nature I was experiencing, soon became my mini-obsession. For those of you that shared my initial journey and have been happy to wade through all my Facebook photos, you cannot understand how the interaction helped me to settle me in. You will be equally pleased to know that I will be starting my new role here at IBM on the 7th of June so my Facebook posts will very quickly disappear to just a normal trickle.

Back to birding... Before I left SA, I reached out to the Audubon Society here to ask about local clubs in the area. I am a great believer in birding with others - nothing is more disheartening when you see something spectacular and have no-one to share it with. There were a few clubs around me so I reached out once I was here and got some responses. It was with great enthusiasm that I dragged Jacques out of bed one icy cold Saturday morning and to a place called Croton Point where the local bird club was doing a count of species visiting a group of bird feeders. During part of the winter, this is how they count the different species and these particular guys did it from the warm confines of a building with large windows and not outside in the snow. We were immediately made to feel welcome and spent most of the hours chatting to the team there about birding back home and our move. In between we were admiring the birds at the feeders too. This initial interaction made such a great impression that I decided not to investigate other clubs and stick with this one (Saw Mill River Audubon).

I have had the pleasure of being able to attend most of the Monday and Thursday walks with the club during May so for once, have appreciated not having to get up for work every day. Most days I feel like an absolute beginner as the appearance and calls have me starting from scratch but every time I go out I start gaining more and more confidence. It does help that I have an incredible teacher, Anne, who is sharing her insane amount of knowledge with me (thanks Anne). It does also help that there are the most gorgeous locations in and around where I live, not excluding my garden of course, that makes wanting to be out there with my binoculars, a pleasure. I am enjoying getting to know fellow club members and having a shared passion helps make connections I didn't think were possible so quickly.

I never realized that this girl with blazing hot, African blood flowing through her veins would be able to use that same blood to find a link to her new world.  Changing your life is a journey and having inner peace to keep you sane while you travel that road with a GPS that doesn't understand your accent, is immeasurable.