Feeding the birds

We sat eating our roast chicken. Outside we watched a couple of wood-pigeons work out how they could place themselves on the trellis so they could stretch out their necks to reach the bird feeders.

The first attempt got one to the feeder with the nyger seeds. We couldn’t help thinking they would have to eat a lot of those fine seeds to maintain their great body size. Sure enough they moved down a horizontal in the trellis. Now they could reach the sunflower seeds. That’s more like it! At first the one who found success attacked the second bird. I had taken them to be a couple but now I wasn’t so sure. But no, they made their peace & the first offered seedy titbits to the second, feeding her.

After we’d eaten, I filled some cups with the liquid fat from the roasting & added some seeds – that will be a lot easier for the bigger seed-eating birds, the wood-pigeons & doves. Then I cut up any remaining skin to go onto the bird table for the bigger meat eaters – the blackbirds & starlings. Both I put on one side to put out this morning when they were cooled down.

So this morning, all this food went out. The first to the bird table were a pair of black-backed gulls – great big birds. I scared them off so some smaller birds stood a chance. I suspect, however, the moment I left the kitchen, & so could no longer keep an eye on the table, the gulls would be back. By now I expect the table will be bare.