Porch Post

No birds are eating from the yummy big steak-like sunflower seed feeder that I hung as low as I could off our porch, just above the trees where I've been watching the black birds (got to look up their names) raise their babies all season. They're sharp birds, boldly hunt for food and will take a stab at whatever they can find -- from worms to MacDonalds fries. Every morning I hear them squaking and watch them, often through binocs, as they fly around finding breakfast... It's busy -- the bird version of happy hour -- but they have not found their way up to my porch, where a banquet awaits. Plugging in my water fountain does not call to them, nor do the strawberies that are bite size and ripe hanging from baskets, or the herbs or flowerboxes. I thought such a nice environment would becon better than plain cement and garden furniture would. No Dice.

However, I saw a turtle dove standing on the railing one day, and I never see birds come up here, even though we're only about 5 stories high. I just wanted to makethe food OBVIOUS in hopes of that bird or others coming back. As a last resort I took down the clear feeder that I'd stuck to the window (a first try) and spread out it's corn, seeds, nuts and shelled sunflower bits in a corner on the patio floor.

Lo and behold, the turtledove now comes daily with a mate and so has a sparrow with a black head and markings... and with it, a littler sparrow that is all brown. Don't know if this is a Mr and Mrs or a mother and her fledgeling. 

A sparrow is out there eating now, and the little brown one comes and goes. They say that birds will come if you leave out food, and these do come every day... but apparently they are not spreading the word!