Monday, April 25, 2016

Feeding the Little Birds - Spring 2016

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Get My Handmade in my Bonanza Booth or my Etsy Shop -- or Privately




I've had this Bird Feeder for years - the one pictured above.  That picture was one taken at the place I lived at 2001-2012 in the Antelope Valley of Southern California, but I still have it where I live now in another place - also with Trees and Birds.

Something funny happened yesterday and today, so I thought I would share it.

I periodically fill the Bird Feeder with Wild Bird Seed - it takes a varying amount of time for the birds to find it - and eat it.  In the picture about there are 5 birds around it - if you notice, it is a Smaller Bird Feeder and they are all Small Birds - which is part of my point today!

Yesterday I filled the Bird Feeder up to the top - sometime mid-morning.  A few hours later I checked and low-and-behold, I could see some of the birds had gotten to it because a noticeable amount of the bird seed was gone!

Then this afternoon, I took another look - boy - the Bird Feeder looked totally empty!!  So, this evening, I filled it again!!

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You see, where I live now - there are a lot of Trees and Bushes over about 65 acres and around low, mostly ranch-style buildings.

And - there are Lots and Lots of Birds -- All Sizes and Lots of different Kinds it seems to me.  But one thing that is very noticeable - is that there are Lots and Lots of Ravens - since moving here, I have said some times that "the Ravens Rule the Skies here"!!

Someone I know who runs an environmental group and who I have mentioned on my blog before, John Buckley of Central Sierra Environmental Resource Center wrote an interesting article on their website:

I was surprised to see his article - but I understand his points in it - I find the Ravens here where I live to be very bold - they sometimes whoosh by me very close to my head as I walk through the trees - and they are exceedingly vocal at times!!  I actually like the Ravens, but John Buckley's article drew my attention to the problem between them and the Smaller Birds, which I also like very much - so-o-o-o ---

---- I realized that my relatively Smaller Bird Feeder was a way I could contribute to the survival of the Smaller Birds - my Bird Feeder is way too small for Ravens - and they do not come to feed on it, but Yesterday and Today - I saw and heard a whole bunch of  the Smaller Birds around here - around my little Bird Feeder!!

I have never seen the Ravens around here attacking a Smaller Bird's nest like John Buckley describes in his article - nor eating other smaller animals either -- I just usually see them flying around - or sitting around in trees or on the ground - or even walking around in the grass (what there is of it these days LOL) - very often pecking at something on the ground.  

Most of the Ravens around here seem very fat and satisfied.  I do not feed the Ravens at all - I don't know where they grab their food -, except for the seeds and whatever they find on the ground -- they don't particularly hang around the closed garbage cans on our 65 acres - but I am sure they are getting food somewhere .... but I am now on a Mission to make it easier for the Smaller Birds where I live to get food - my Bird Feeder!!

I have always loved watching birds - ever since I was a little girl, though I am not a real "Bird Watcher" with binoculars and all - I just like to watch them when I am around ... just the other day I noticed a lot of cheeping coming from this Big Bush at the corner of the building I live in -- this bush  is really big and thick - and I strongly suspect that there is a bird's nest in there - it is a rather thick bush, but not the kind Ravens sit on - and thick enough, I think, that the Ravens may not be able to get at that nest - at least I hope they won't!

Every so often I Crochet something with a Bird in it - in fact, one of my current "works-in-progress" is a rather large Filet Crochet picture of "Birds Nesting" (little ones by the way)!!  Here are some photos of completed Handmade projects of mine with Birds:


Bird of Peace



Proud Rooster by Ruth Sandra Sperling - RSS Designs In Fiber



Red Cardinal On A Branch



Lovebird In A Heart




Filet Crochet of an Eagle - Sold mid-2000's



1 comment :

Julie l. Cleveland said...

I loved your story about the little birds and feeding them. Like you, I enjoy watching all sorts of birds and have been fortunate to live in places that I could share with a lot of birds. The other day, I put in a bird feeder that focused on the little guys. It's a squirrel proof one ... as if ... I have had one cardinal on it, but as of almost two weeks, they have not found it yet. Since I did not have one until now, I do not fault the birds. Plus, I put it so I could see it while I worked, but that may not be to the bird's convenience, so it is subject to being moved. Here's to feeding the birds!!