"Self-sufficiency does not mean 'going back' to the acceptance of a lower standard of living. On the contrary, it is the striving for a higher standard of living, for food that is organically grown and good, for the good life in pleasant surroundings... and for the satisfaction that comes from doing difficult and intricate jobs well and successfully." John Seymour ~ Self Sufficiency 2003

Saturday, 4 April 2015

Greedy feathered friends

RMan and I have our first cup of coffee / tea sitting on the patio most mornings.

We have moved two the bird feeder bottles to two trees directly in front of us - no point feeding the birds if you can't see them lol
A female Lesser Doublecollared Sun bird on top
of the ficus benjaminus to ask us to
please refill the bottles :)
We have noticed that when the sugared water runs dry, invariably a male or female sun bird will come and "advise" us of the dire situation they are finding themselves in.  One of them flies over and lands on one of the ficus benjaminus which are in a pot either side of the entrance steps.  It is too cute.
The female Cape Weaver waits patiently
whilst the male drinks his fill
They have us wrapped firmly round their little claws for as soon as they make us aware, one of us jumps up to go and refill their bottles ;)

The bird feeders have become a noisy meeting spot.
A Cape Bulbul and a female Marico Sun bird taking turns
to slurp.
 (I think it a Marico - the stripes on it's stomach are
unusual and no sun bird in my bird book has them.
It seems that all the birds in the area know about them, and the squawking and fights for possession are noisy instances in an otherwise quiet and calm early morning.
EIGHT Cape Weavers fighting over possession of
this one bird feeder.  Click on the image to see
the 8 - I've drawn a circle round them to make
them easier for you to see.
The two bottles last, on average, a day and a half.

Then it's time for the sun birds to pay us a personal visit once again...

Happy Easter to all - be safe on the roads if you're venturing out.  And save some chocolate for another day lol
Posted by Dani at 16:11:00
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12 comments:

  1. Sue4 April 2015 at 17:40

    It's gotta be one of the more relaxing and enjoyable hobbies out there.
    Such beautiful birds. It's the perfect way to start the day.
    Happy Easter, Dani

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dani7 April 2015 at 12:07

      Sue - We were inundated with family this weekend - apologies for the late response. Thanks - hope you had a Happy Easter too :)

      Delete
  2. Mum4 April 2015 at 18:08

    And a very Happy Easter to you and yours.
    xx

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    Replies
    1. Dani7 April 2015 at 12:08

      Mum - Thank you - and you and yours too :)

      Delete
  3. Quinn4 April 2015 at 18:18

    Did you make the feeders, Dani? Looks nice! I'll be putting up a hummingbird feeder in a few weeks, but it's not a very attractive feeder. I should look into making another.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dani7 April 2015 at 12:08

      Quinn - No, we purchased them - one in Cape Town, and one is from our local Co-Op. We can't fill them quick enough...

      Delete
  4. Vicki4 April 2015 at 18:19

    Feeding the birds is such fun. I did the same years ago when I had a tree outside the living room window. The kids loved to watch and identify all the different birds. Also had a cat who once, and only once, jumped straight up and snagged a sparrow off the feeder. Cat then became an indoor cat!
    Wishing you a blessed Easter.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dani7 April 2015 at 12:11

      Vicki - I keep having to dash for my bird book so that I can identify a new bird. It is great fun :) Hope your Easter was wonderful too :)

      Delete
  5. Harry Flashman6 April 2015 at 03:02

    This is my third attempt to comment! My first one disappeared when my kindle dropped the page. The second one disappeared when I tried to publish it but wasn't logged in. If this one does the same I will just bow to fate. What I wanted to say was that I like all those birds you have. My wife has some bird feeders and my favorite is the hummingbird feeder. I really like those little guys.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dani7 April 2015 at 12:12

      Harry - Sounds like you're having an time there with your electronics. Thanks for persevering. Do you get many birds in your forest - it looks quite dark and dense...?

      Delete
  6. Chickpea11 April 2015 at 12:32

    I love watching the birds and their pecking order. Whoops, I ate all the chocolate :)

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking the time to comment - it makes my day and removes the "loneliness' of sitting at my screen blogging supposedly to myself ;) I try and reply as quickly as possible so please forgive me if sometimes my response is delayed.

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