Lessons from a Birdfeeder

Soon after we moved to Washington DC last year, I hung our "Squirrel Buster" mini birdfeeder from the dogwood tree in our garden in direct view of our kitchen window. I had no idea at the time, just how much our family would learn from this birdfeeder. It used to hang from a tree at our house in Dubai, but in 3 years hardly any birds had visited it: I suppose it was the desert after all...

But hanging it in Washington DC has been a completely different story! Every morning, there’s a steady stream of birds flying back and forth to claim the hearty milieu of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and millets generously dispensed (FOR FREE!) from our birdfeeder. Observing the activity for even 5 minutes is (almost?) as engrossing as watching reality TV! 

Here are some regulars from the cast of characters:

• There’s the gaggle of House Sparrows, tiny little birds who are quite happy to share their space at the birdfeeder with each other and any other bird who arrives.
• There’s flashy Northern Red Cardinal, who waits until the coast is clear before having his turn at breakfast. He’ll never eat when others are around. Red-Bellied Woodpecker on the other hand doesn’t mind sharing with the House Sparrows on occasion. Neither does American Crow, except he's so big he often crowds out the others.
• Then there’s Blue Jay who can’t stand the thought of any other bird eating from “his” food source, so he swoops in from the neighboring tree if any bird encroaches, only to shoo them away and fly away without eating.
• There are the Mourning Doves who are content perching on the branches and later sitting on the ground under the birdfeeder to pick up the fallen seeds. And there’s White-breasted Nuthatch who typically eats upside down with his tailfeathers in the air.
• And I must mention Squirrel, who will spare no effort to get at the birdfeeder, stretching, hanging upside down, engaging in all sorts of gymnastics to get within reach of the food stash. Sadly for him, he’s constantly foiled by the squirrel-busing design of the birdfeeder! So he contents himself with scavenging the seed that the birds drop on the ground!

 
By noon the birdfeeder is almost always empty, and activity dies down for the day…. The cast has changed with the seasons with different birds appearing during the winter when the migratory birds have flown south to warmer climates.
 
It’s been so interesting and fun for our family to watch and learn about the animals we share our habitat with. For those of you looking for easy ways for your kids to connect with nature in a meaningful way, I HIGHLY recommend installing a birdfeeder: watch closely (and regularly) and see the drama unfold!