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Friday, April 17, 2015

A Change In Attitudes

I told you in the past about how the little Juncos were jealously guarding my old bell feeders. They would try to chase away the bigger birds, but it really never worked. That attitude seems to have changed completely with the new feeder.

The Juncos are now happy to let any other bird have its way at the feeder. For the most part the Juncos stay on the floor of the porch collecting fallen seed. Whenever they do come up to the feeder they seem happy to share with the other birds, and they even make sure they stay away from the others.

On the other hand the Downy Woodpeckers are now the aggressive birds at the feeder. I recently watched one of these Woodpeckers attack another bird that had landed on the top of the feeder while the Woodpecker was in the position you see in the pictures. The two birds briefly had a fight in the air as the other bird tried to flee.

I didn't get a good look at that other bird, but I thought maybe it might have been one of the Cardinals. I hope that means they're trying to come back. I don't know if that will happen with the aggressive behavior of the Woodpeckers though. It's just been interesting to see the changing behavior of these birds up close as they all try to share this feeder. I'll talk to you later.

9 comments:

  1. After time, many years, I found the birds got along better. I also attributed it to having so many feeders and putting seed on the deck rail plate. With more feeding stations, they seem to get along better as there is a place for everyone!

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  2. you are having fun. I hope you get some more.I don't feed much in the summer, but enjoy watching those still coming into my yard\

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  3. pretty neat how they adjust with different feeders. :)

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  4. Those woodpeckers sound really protective of their food stash!

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  5. they should start making reservations at different times then they wouldn't have to fight....lol

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  6. It's a shame how it is always such a fight in nature...here at home the starlings spend so much time falling out among themselves over food that the other birds take it behind their backs. I hope that the cardinals do come back....maybe after nesting season is over the woodpeckers won't be so protective of their new found food source.

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  7. They learn to share food and love.

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  8. The woodpeckers must really like the food. That's why they're being so aggressive.

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  9. The woodpeckers must really like the food. That's why they're being so aggressive.

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