Feeding the Birds vs. Feeding the Bird

One of the drawbacks to feeding birds is that ALL birds can want to participate. This puts our family in the unenviable position of having to discriminate about which birds we want to feed. All, the poor little Cooper's Hawk, who just wants to have breakfast or dinner just like all the other little songbirds, often comes by looking for a handout as well. His arrival requires I take a trip upstairs out on the deck and spend time jumping, clapping, shouting and sometimes even photograph taking to move him on to a more distant eatery.

Early last year I had once seen a small Pine Siskin crouched in the corner of the deck and I thought, "Oh, poor thing, he must have run into the glass." And perhaps he had (Siskins are quite stupid compared to most), but when I went out to rescue him from possibily being eaten by a cat, the fear of me drove him off the deck into quickly moving path of the hawk who had been waiting unbeknownst to me. Life is full of unintended consequences - alas. That round went to the hawk.

But today the victory was mine. This beautiful but unappreciated hunter finally flew off in pursuit of a Junco, but a little yelling on my part distracted him enough to let the small dodging bird escape and off the hawk went, looking for a better diner with more of a welcome.

I bear him no ill will, but better that he eat a bird I do not know!