Birds at breakfast...

[BlueRidge]

Got these pictures this morning. Our porch railing is kind of a double rail, with the outside rail a bit lower than the inside rail. This is apparently the result of a (lazy? stupid? there's evidence of both here!) previous owner adding a roof to an existing porch, while leaving the previous railing undisturbed. Weird, and unsightly as well. It also makes it impossible to paint some surfaces. It's on the "to do" list...

Anyway, it makes a nice 'dining table' for the birds. I put out some black oil sunflower seed, and in a few minutes had some takers.

Click on the photo for a full size version...






Tommy Titmouse and Colin Cardinal, enjoying some breakfast together...

[Pat]

I'm sure you have noticed how the cardinals will "play nice" with most other birds and don't squable. They just avoid difficulties by leaving if rowdies show up. American Goldfinches will eat right next to a cardinal but let a redwinged blackbird show up and they will both get the heck out of the way. Good thinking as I have seen a redwinged blackbird peck a goldfinch to death and carry away the corpse.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[BlueRidge]

Yeah, it seems the only birds they squabble with is other cardinals of the same sex, and even that doesn't get very intense.

This morning I had Mr. Squirrel at one end of the row of seeds, and Mr. Cardinal at the other. [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]

[Pat]

Blue, I was watching a male cardinal feed on the ground this morning. My wife allways throws some feed on the ground around the feeders as it is tough for the bully birds (red winged blackbirds, to guard that much turf and the slate junkos don't seem to like to perch to eat.. (I think she is feeding the rats and mice.) Anyway I saw the cardinal make aggressive moves at a couple other birds who got right in his pecking area. Really mild compared to many other species. I was playing with her binocam in video clip mode and got the action as part of a 15 sec clip.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]