For the birds

It snowed during the night. And not the usual pathetic paper-thin layer that melts within hours we usually get. No, this snow landed in rich amounts on frozen ground. It’ll stay as long as we have below-freezing temperatures.

Wednesday I hung up a bird feeder with seeds, and a tallow ball with seeds on my balcony. One lone blue tit was on the feeder Thursday when I got home early enough to still have daylight. Yesterday, a couple of sparrows had found the feeders.

This morning, a half dozen magpies sat in the little beech tree next to my building, and only a few feet away from my balcony. A little later, I looked out and saw a dozen sparrows in the beech tree and three on the tallow ball. I immediately thought of Alfred Hitchcock and grinned.

All the birds keep fighting and jockeying for positions on the feeders, making me laugh out loud. The cagiest are the great tits, who are not yet comfortable when I come to the door. The sparrows are quicker not to mind a human shape. I’ve also discovered that the sparrows all wait in the bush below while other birds feed. I hope to see the blue tit again, and maybe some other species.

A glimpse from way inside my living room through my balcony door:

I need to move the other feeder so I can see the activity there, too, from my desk. I also hope to get some far better pictures in future.