The Politeness of Birds and Squirrels

 By Norma A. Boeckler

Feeding time is twice a day in the backyard. I use garbage and the recycle barrels, conveniently color coded, to keep the food high and dry. The lids are designed to drain water away.

Having the seed out in the open prevents squirrel attacks on a narrow front, and their obsession with owning a feeder, even if it means destroying it.

The primary food is black oil sunflower seeds from a 45 pound sack. That lasts forever, and the cost is very low. They also like stale bakery products.

 I bought two bird feeders, filled them, and built a bird swing, just so Mr. Squirrel could perch there and pretend to be a Fuzzy-Tailed Cutebird.

The squirrels take part in a schedule. They are not the first to eat. Normally, the starlings are. Squirrels will hop up and feast on both barrels and then leave. I throw seeds into the yard to give more creatures something to find.

The original squirrel-bird fights have disappeared. They are all used to a generous and regular supply. In fact, they will leave seeds overnight for the next morning.

 By Norma A. Boeckler

Male and female cardinals eat at the same time, one on each barrel. I figure they are nest-mates because of this arrangement. Male cardinals are especially territorial, which means we get to see bunches of them only in winter, never in spring.

As others have said, the female cardinal is just as beautiful as the mail. Because both are shy (compared to the starlings), it is especially fun to see them.

The birds and squirrels are programmed for respect. They fuss but do not harm each other.

Every so often, it is little bird time. The finches show up to eat by themselves. I have seen common and goldfinches.

The grackles, cousins of the starlings, may show up in a nervous, jittery flock. They are likely to fly away the moment I am at the window, but in time they will calm down. I hear them creaking in the trees, sounding like metal doors or windows that need some oil.

Mourning doves appear for a snack, and some kind of rock pigeon did so as well.

Years ago the suet bags in Bella Vista perhaps attracted the pileated woodpecker; he posed on a tree for me to admire. Sassy scared him off the ground but he wanted to show off anyway. Later, some friends saw him pose the same way, as if saying, "I know how rare I am, and I will let you tell your friends about this." We still talk about it. Page views for the pileated were phenomenal.

 Starlings eat together and bathe together, rowdy, clever, and always looking for bugs to eat.

I am the local celebrity in the backyard, appearing with water for the three baths and seed for them all. A chorus builds as they share the news that breakfast is served with fresh water. First they sing Matins, then they come down according to that software installed in them at Creation.

I must also have some sub-routines installed in my nervous system, because their mixed sounds are charming, appealing, peaceful, and beautiful.




We praise thee, O God: we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord.
All the earth doth worship Thee, the Father everlasting.
To Thee all Angels cry aloud: the Heavens and all the powers therein.
To Thee Cherubim and Seraphim continually do cry, Holy, Holy, Holy: Lord God of Sabaoth;
Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of Thy Glory.
The glorious company of the Apostles praise Thee.
The godly fellowship of the Prophets praise Thee.
The noble army of Martyrs praise Thee.
The holy Church throughout all the world doth acknowledge Thee;
The Father of an infinite Majesty;
Thine honourable, true, and only Son;
Also the Holy Ghost: the Comforter.

The creatures could teach a lesson on respect. They let one another share the bounty and seldom eat down to the last scrap. They are appreciative and give back generously. I told PFC that the carpet of wild strawberries in his yard is a gift of the birds who love the berries and plant the seed for him. 

Blue jays never attacked me when I got near their nest in Bella Vista, because I brought them cups of seed to bolster the hard-working parents.

I left seed for a robin in New Ulm, every day. If I forgot, she went out on a limb so I could see her. She reminded me of the value of black oil sunflower seed when she was so overworked.

 I started young.

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Birds Greet Me When I Open the Sunflower Seed Box

Purple finches will show up in groups to enjoy sunflower feeders.

Long ago I pushed suet into mesh bags and distributed them around the backyard. Yesterday a downy woodpecker rewarded me by posing on one bag while eating. We saw pileated woodpeckers twice in Bella Vista, doubtless attracted by suet hanging and an abundance of oak borers in dying trees.

Downy woodpeckers love suet when they are not eating bugs.

I also noticed that the extra lump of suet--stuck in the tree and covered with almond butter--was completely gone. Mrs. Ichabod pulled that suet out of the freezer and began slicing it up as turkey breast. The almond butter was starting to turn, so I added that for dessert.

Our grandson Alex helped me scatter sunflower seeds in the mulched vegetable and corn gardens-in-waiting. More seed was poured into the soi-disant squirrel proof birdfeeder. We reached 60 degrees yesterday, so the bedroom window was open and bird sounds came through. Purple finches were munching sunflower seeds inches from the open (screened) window.

Our vast expanses of mulch serve as birdfeeders, providing a cover and food for soil creatures, a large shopping area for birds to select fresh food for themselves. I add sunflower seeds for the seed eating birds that prefer eating from the ground.

Lowe's had just what I wanted - a little metal chair to attach to a tree. I also bought field corn to screw into the squirrel feeder. Soon squirrels will sit in the chair and enjoy corn treats. My favorite is a composite cob a Ace Hardware. It takes forever to eat and resists all kinds of weather. However, the old fashioned cob photographs better and scatters corn on the ground for blue jays.

The Woody Woodpecker Debate Rages On: Pileated or Acorn Woodpecker?

The pileated woodpecker is known for its loud knocking sound
as it hammers for insects or chisels out his nest.

Lara Bailey has left a new comment on your post "The Pileated Woodpecker Sighted Again":

actually the acorn woodpecker was the inspiration for woody. I was confused too since they both have that tuft of red on their heads.Great article anyway, keep up the good work! :-)

***

GJ - Some scholars believe Woody is indeed modeled after the acorn woodpecker, according to this story on NPR.

Several of them happened to know the truth and had discussed it at length, in between identifying puzzling shorebirds, curating museum collections and writing books and stuff like that. It turns out that Walter Lantz, the animator who created Woody Woodpecker, had personally given Garrett a copy of his biography, and in that book it says that Walter and his wife, Grace, while honeymooning in a California cabin, were amused by an acorn woodpecker who was poking nuts under the roof shingles. They liked the "little raucous scream" the bird emitted. Grace said to Walter, "Why don't you make him into a character?"

That may be true of the call of the cartoon character. But bird-watchers will  back me up in saying the first Woody cartoon figure looked more like a pileated, which are rarely seen because of their wide-ranging habitat. I think the pileated is a ham, because he posed for me the first time and also for our friends when he was spotted. 

Here is the very first Woody Woodpecker cartoon, which was found by our over-worked research department. He did not look like an acorn woodpecker. He looked like a pileated.

The acorn woodpecker sounds are found here. The last two calls sound more like the Woody Woodpecker theme, allowing for creative expression.

The acorn woodpecker had the raucous song that attracted the honeymooners.

I thought my suet was drawing the pileated, but they are also keen on the acorn woodboring beetle, which was feasting on our dying oaks in Bella Vista. The drought killed the very tree we saw the pileated feasting upon. As the readers know, a compromised tree will become a great place for insects to dine.

Most birds will fly away when spotted, except for the brave little hummingbirds, who deliberately approach their friends. In Phoenix I often had them buzz by me, thanking me for all the friendly cover and food I provided. Once or twice I was able to provide a shower with my garden hose, as it flew back and forth for a bath.

The pileated woodpecker post remains in the top five of the all-time favorites on Ichabod:

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We love woodpeckers because they are great insect eaters, whether they are downy, hairy, pileated, acorn, or flickers

Insect eating birds appreciate suet feeders, which are inexpensive and last awhile. I used to get suet for almost nothing, but now I have to buy little cakes of it or larger bags. Starlings love suet because they are also insect eaters. A gardener always wants insect eaters settling down in his yard.

We have four living and two dead trees in the back yard, one large tree in the front yard.

Garden Plans Start in the Fall and Winter. Birds and Squirrels

The pileated woodpecker is rarely seen.
Ours posed for our guests, feasting on the wood borers from a dying oak.
The oak tree had to be cut down.

I know people are interested in Creation, because the pileated woodpecker post is one of the all time favorites since June of 1970. It has been read almost 4,000 times.

One wit suggested including donkeys, birds, and kittens into posts, to make sure it is popular, no matter what the main topic.

The temperature hit 77 degrees yesterday, in spite of the December date. Sassy celebrated by finding some horse manure in a garden and rolling in it. She was quite pleased with herself. It was not the older, sweeter composted horse manure but the tangy, fresh, loaded-with-nitrogen-compounds kind. She had an outside bath so she could be trusted inside for a Lemon Verbena bath. She was suitably contrite, although I distrust the sincerity of a drama queen like her.

One of my first jobs in the new house was putting up the squirrel-proof bird feeder. The squirrels in Bella Vista had it figured out after one year, so I was giving up on it. I would have left it in place, except I figured the Springdale squirrels were too far away to have received training from the Bella Vista rodents.

The feeder is placed near the bedroom window, where we can enjoy it in the mornings and evenings, the favorite times for bird feeding. We also have a watering station outside for Sassy, but that will serve the birds and other creatures to some extent. A large clay dish, for underneath plants, will be the birdbath. I hate to spend money to buy a hardware store birdbath that is little more than an elevated ceramic dish. Two dollars for one or 30 for the other? Not much of a decision.

We have two dead trees and four living ones in the grassy, fenced backyard. Dead trees are ideal for birds. They love to have extra perches for observing ground movement and potential food. They feel safe from most predators there. They are natural feeding stations. I will be buying suet again, assuming we are too urban for raccoons. A dead tree is a good place for extra food. I like to place food around the house and create a bird habitat. It does not take much time or money, just a little attention now and then.

We have some good areas for gardening. The front will feature a row of Double Delight roses. The back garden will have potatoes and some other favorites. So - I am starting to compost for the spring.

A compost bin is easy to create. Just take a length of cheap chicken wire and form a cylinder. I will probably buy about 10 to 12 feet. I will place it on the ground and begin filling it with leaves, grass, and organic material. The bottom is open to the soil and grass, so those creatures have easy access to a supermarket of warm, wet food all winter. The top and sides are open to air and rain.

Dog and cat manure do not go into compost, because those pets can be intermediate hosts for some unpleasant creatures. Cow, horse, and rabbit manure are good additions, but grass and other green materials will also supply nitrogen compounds to speed up decomposition. Fresh grass will heat up and speed up a compost pile. It is worthwhile to take a pile of fresh grass and see what happens and observe how hot it gets from the bacteria that heat it up. I have seen "steam" rising from decomposing grass.

Leaves and wood by-products can bind up nitrogen but they do not rob the compost of nitrogen, as some imagine. Leaves and wood use the nitrogen to decompose and then release it. One study showed that wood adds to total soil fertility. So does clay, which is good for the transfer of minerals. Clay, if handled well, is the richest of soils.

All soils benefit from large increases of humus (organic material) from manure and compost. Sandy, loam, and clay soils become more fertile and support a larger earthworm population. Richer soils attract more birds, and birds reduce pests. Therefore, simply keeping the free organic material in a yard will increase its production and beauty in time. No gardener has ever said, "I have too much compost."

In Midland, I was the guy who collected as much grass and leaves as I could from neighbors. I either mulched or composted what I collected. Everyone smirked until the Silver Queen white corn grew six feet tall and ripened. Then my neighbors asked, "How is that sweet corn doing?" I was happy to share it and tell them how they were eating corn planted in four feet of compost, a goldmine of balanced chemicals and soil prepared by an army of earthworms.

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bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Garden Plans Start in the Fall and Winter. Birds a...":

Use shiny 8" chimney pipe slid over a post for a cheap baffle to keep squirrels off feeders on posts, or fit over ledges to stop squirrels from using ledges as a diving platform (the chimney pipe opened up lengthwise can attach itself to ledges with its spring action). If they can't get a good grip, they can't jump as well, since unlike humans, squirrels need a grip to make long jumps.

I found that an upside-down 5-gallon pail fits snugly over a 3-hole cinder block, and that serves as a nice firm base for a bird bath.

A submersible de-icer can be had for $30. They only heat the water up to just about freezing, so the heater won't crack pottery bird baths, nor fry plastic bird baths, nor use a lot of electricity. The heater element has a couple bumps on it to keep it off the bottom of whatever it is placed in. Buy a cheap timer so it only runs from 8AM to 4:30PM when the birds are out. The larger watt heaters are best because the 75 watt ones may need hours to work, and if the birds check out the water and find it frozen, they won't come back as much. For safety, use a GFCI adapter if your outside outlet doesn't have GFCI built in:

Farm Innovators "Around The Farm" Submersible Cast Aluminum Utility De-Icer Model C-250, 250-Watt:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001E8X2CA/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00  

The Pileated Woodpecker Sighted Again

Our guests got to watch the pileated woodpecker
work his way around the oak tree.
One favorite food is - oak borers.

Today Sassy took off after a creature on the ground. She has no chance against birds or squirrels, but she tries anyway.

The bird landed on a nearby tree and posed in profile as if to establish a safe harbor. It was a pileated woodpecker.

Here is more information and a recording of its laughing call.

They are almost the size of crows and perhaps the silliest birds to see. The photos do not reveal the clownish look of the bird, which is probably enhanced by its impressive size.

As some of you guessed, they are the model for Woody the Woodpecker, a favorite cartoon of the past.

I have had downy and hairy woodpeckers at the suet, but I was not looking for the pileated. The pileated needs about 150 acres to feed, so they are far less numerous. Counting the dead trees in the ravine behind our house (four or more), we have the habitat.

I have heard the drumming, too, which Woody did in the cartoons. We have some holes in our siding, one seeming to hold an acorn. That may be his work.

I am glad our goofy dog scared the bird into the tree, and even happier I put up plenty of suet over the winter. That is supposed to bring them closer. The front yard has some hanging in a protected area, with bushes for cover and perching, water on the ground, Nyjer and sunflower seed feeders. As bird-watchers know, an abundance of food, water, and shelter will create a little convention site, attracting more species.

A bag of suet costs about $2 a month to maintain. I enjoy seeing the splendors of Creation, which we take for granted.

---

WOODY WOODPECKER SONG
Kay Kyser
- words and music by George Tibbles and Ramey Idries
- introduced in the cartoon film "Wet Blanket Policy" and
nominated for an Academy Award
- lyrics as recorded by The Kay Kyser Orchestra

Ho-ho-ho ho ho! Ho-ho-ho ho ho!
Oh, that's the Woody Woodpecker song
Ho-ho-ho ho ho! Ho-ho-ho ho ho!
Yeah, he's a-peckin' it all day long

He pecks a few holes in a tree to see
If a redwood's really red
And it's nothing to him, on the tiniest whim
To peck a few holes in your head

Ho-ho-ho ho ho! Ho-ho-ho ho ho!
Oh, that's the Woody Woodpecker's tune
Ho-ho-ho ho ho! Ho-ho-ho ho ho!
Makes the other woodpeckers swoon

Though it doesn't make sense to the dull and the dense
And the lady woodpeckers long for
Ho-ho-ho ho ho! Ho-ho-ho ho ho!
That's the Woody Woodpecker song

------ instrumental interlude ------

Ho-ho-ho ho ho! Ho-ho-ho ho ho!
Woody Woodpecker's serenade
Ho-ho-ho ho ho! Ho-ho-ho ho ho!
On the woodpecker hit parade

Though he can't sing a note, there's a frog in his throat
All his top notes come out blurred
He's the ladies' first choice, with a laugh in his voice
He gives all his rivals the bird

Ho-ho-ho ho ho! Ho-ho-ho ho ho!
He'll be settlin' down some day
Ho-ho-ho ho ho! Ho-ho-ho ho ho!
He'll be hearin' the preacher say

For the rest of your life you'll be Woody and wife
And the choir will sing along with
Ho-ho-ho ho ho! Ho-ho-ho ho ho!
The Woody Woodpecker song.

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