The Bird Feeder

What a show put on at the bird feeder this morning. Cardinals, woodpeckers, sparrows and painted buntings abound. I used to think that sitting and staring at birds feeding was the height of boring and quite frankly a sure sign of the onset of old age! But it has dawned on me over the past few years of really watching the birds and their rituals at the feeder that the similarities to humans is striking. Some birds, including the sparrows and buntings, can feed at the same time in relative peace. The male cardinal can feed with female cardinals and other birds, but goes nuts when another male gets near and an all out rumble begins. The woodpecker can creep up the post of the feeder to snatch some seeds and the other birds don't have a care, but the blue jay must have it all to himself and watch out if the crows come near! The bluebirds don't come near the feeder but plunge down into the grass to grab a bug or two then jet back up to the fence or the trees with their cobalt blue wings flapping. The mockingbirds don't visit the feeder either but they do sit high in the trees and sing out in a joyous medley of all of the other birds' calls.

Need I really state the obvious here by drawing the parallels between the things that happen at the bird feeder and humankind? I guess the real point of this blog is for each of us to look within and decide what kind of bird or animal at the feeder that we are akin to. Can we feed with others or do we want it all to ourself? Do we only like our own kind or are we comfortable with the mixed palate of our world? Do we only want to feed with those who aren't like us so we can be unique, or are we like the invariable squirrel who scrapes all to the ground to grab the prize sunflower seeds, not caring what happens to the rest of the food and how many others need it? Take a moment to reflect.

What kind of bird would you be at my Bird Feeder or in its surrounds? Or would you be the squirrel?