The red bellied woodpecker was back. When the grackles took over, they disappeared. After I figured out how to discourage them, the downy woodpeckers returned. It has been several months since I last saw the larger woodpecker come to feed on my suet cakes. I could never figure out why they call this bird a red bellied woodpecker. The red markings are on its head not its belly but in back of their head. Anyway, I was thrilled to see one today and hope it comes back.
Tags: bird feeding, bird-watching, birds, downy woodpecker, grackles, red bellied woodpecker, suet cakes, the grackles took over for awhile
Posted in beauty, birds, local, nature, seasons, time |
Praise the Lord I can feed my seven cats and four dogs. The dogs are large dogs between seventy-five and ninety pounds so it take quite a bit dog food to feed them. The cats are not as bad although we get special cat food for them: one cat needs a certain diet and we can’t feed him that and not the rest of the six cats a cheaper cat food. And that does not include the bird seed I put out and the suet cakes for the woodpeckers. It is only by grace I can do all those things. Some families who are broke or unemployed would love to have the money we spend just on our pets (and bird seed). Praise the Lord for all that.
Tags: bird feeding, bird food, birds, cat food, cats, dog food, dogs, feeding our pets and birds, four dogs, God, large dogs, our provisions are only by grace, our seven cats and four dogs, pets, praise the Lord, seven cats, suet cakes, woodpeckers
Posted in animals, birds, God, life, local, nature, pets, relationships |
The grackles finally stopped coming. First, I stopped putting out suet cakes and then limited the birdseed on the ground. Sometimes I would have seven or more grackles feeding on the ground at one time. They crowded out the other birds. Now I have not seen one in weeks. This summer I had a regular visitor of a indigo bunting for the first time. They are such a beautiful bird–aptly named. The downy woodpeckers are now feeding on the suet but I have yet to see a red bellied woodpecker. I am waiting to see how long it will take before they rediscover the suet cakes. I can’t remember the last one I have seen. They are such magnificent colored woodpeckers.
Tags: bird feeding, bird-watching, birds, birdseed, downy woodpeckers, grackles, indigo bunting, red bellied woodpeckers, suet cakes, summer
Posted in beauty, birds, local, nature, seasons, time |
I just put out a fresh suet cake for the birds and a white breasted nuthatch found it within seconds. That amazed me: that a bird would find it so quickly. I wonder what keen senses birds must possess to locate food. Is it smell or sight or was it just coincidence that the bird found the suet cake so quickly. It could be habit. I regularly put suet out for the birds, particularly for the woodpeckers. I just wonder about that.
Tags: bird feeding, bird-watching, birds, suet cake, suet cakes, the senses of the birds, white-breasted nuthatch, woodpeckers
Posted in birds, local, nature, time |
The birds can come and go this afternoon. I will peek out my large living room window and watch them. I do not have to be anywhere today any longer. I can keep peering out the window and see who comes along. It really does not matter. I do not have to do any thing the next two hours but listen to music–my favorite activity. I am still waiting to see my first red bellied woodpecker since I started putting out suet cakes again several weeks ago.
Tags: bird feeding, bird-watching, birds, red bellied woodpecker, seasons, suet cakes
Posted in beauty, birds, local, nature, seasons, time |
The grackles are scaring the other birds away in my front yard. I had to stop putting out suet cakes. The grackles liked them too much. And the woodpeckers (red bellied and downy) stopped coming. And other birds attracted to the suet. Like the brown creeper and white breasted nuthatch. More than once I saw a grackle take a bite of suet and go back to grab another and they still had not swallowed the first bite which was still hanging from their beak. I did not know how to discourage them. I know they are God’s creatures.
I wish they would go away. Nevertheless they knew a good thing when they saw it. They also would feed on the bird seed I scattered on the ground. I did not mind them sharing the suet cakes with the woodpeckers but they chased them away. I was going through at least one cake a day. They are almost a dollar at WalMart. Even with no suet cakes being put out they are still coming although not as many. I just don’t know what to do. I miss the suet feeding birds I used to see regularly from my front window.
Tags: bird feeding, bird seed, bird-watching, birds, brown creeper, downy woodpecker, front window, God, God's creatures, grackles, red bellied woodpecker, suet cakes, white-breasted nuthatch, woodpeckers, yard
Posted in balance, birds, local, nature, seasons, time |
