Bird Feeding for Whom? 

     Lorraine and I were recently sitting in our dining room looking out over the back yard and onto the 15^th fairway of the Greens of Redmond golf course. In our back yard we have several bird feeders and a series of small pools. As the outdoor temperature was hovering around the twelve-degree level the pools were frozen. But the feeders were attracting our share of birds: Juncos, House Sparrows, Scrub Jays, Cedar Waxwings, Northern Flickers, Robins, White-crowned Sparrows, Chickadees, Quail, and of course the ever present Starlings.

     In our yard and out on the golf course we have numerous Juniper trees. We enjoy them as they are picturesque in their lack of uniformity. They also produce copious amounts of berries.  

     The thing that amazed us was that as we watched, more than the usual number of Robins were flocking around the base of and in the branches of the Juniper trees.

     We thought this a little strange and as we watched we realized that they were eating Juniper berries, both off the trees and off the ground. The Starlings and Waxwings were doing the same thing. We watched as one Robin gobbled up four of these berries before moving on to a new spot.

     We know that Juniper berries are used in cooking and for the flavoring of gin. Having seen birds eat these berries before, I’ve tried them myself, both off the trees and off the ground. Neither impressed me at all.

     I don’t believe that I should like everything that birds like, but the Juniper berry thing puzzles me. Maybe somebody out there can enlighten us on this subject.

     Speaking of House Sparrows—we have lived in Redmond for about twenty months and have personally been accessories in the feeding of approximately 2,456 of these Sparrows. They are a plague. They go through birdseed like a bunch of little vacuum cleaners. They’ve also learned to cling to and eat out of the woodpecker suet-feeder.

Have you noticed how we humans react to any species that has learned to flourish in spite of us—Sparrows, Starlings, Dandelions, etc. It seems as though we try to eradicate anything that can survive in spite of us, and then go to great lengths to protect anything that can’t survive because of us.

Again, if anyone out there knows how to feed only the birds that I want to feed and not the ones that I don’t want to feed, please let me know.

Other culprits in the bird theft situation are the deer. They’ve learned to tip the seed feeders enough to get their tongues in there and get the seed. Who would have thought?

Another word about our bird feeding area. We have a neighborhood cat that likes to hang around. I’ve a feeling that this feline doesn’t really understand the true concept of “bird feeding area.”       

After cleaning out our bird feeders he jumps the fence and is making his escape, although at a very leisurely pace.