At a slower pace

A winter pleasure visiting my garden - a Grey Lourie which is a scarce visitor to my garden, as I don't really have any plants offering figs or berries. But it probably spotted the apples and oranges I have on some bird feeders. Camera - Canon EOS 550D. 

 

It is mid-summer and the feeding at my bird tables has come to an almost stand-still as fewer and fewer birds are visiting or waiting for me early in the morning. As summer progresses, I usually slow down my feeding schedule, as there is plenty of seeds, fruits and insects available to keep the birds busy 24/7. 

 Seed cage

 Heart-shaped feeder

 Slate fruit feeder

 One of my Suet feeders

The bird baths, however, are now occupied virtually all day long, with everybody taking turns at cooling off and cleaning themselves. And when the sprinkler is on they, flit in and out and through the spray like small boys playing under a waterfall. 

Winter is another matter - when I go out at about 6am to fill the feeders, the birds are already occupying every tree top and all the branches near the feeders. Three feeders are filled with seeds and bread, two feeders are loaded with fruit and a special feeder is filled with suet and minced meat.

 Patiently waiting at 6am

Everybody waiting near one of the bird feeders

As soon as I leave, the feeder is swamped!

But the days are already getting shorter - the Sparrow that used to wake me up at 4.30am now only starts singing shortly after 5am and soon we'll be heading for Autumn and cooler days. I will start increasing my feeding schedule slowly from about March until all my feathered friends will once again be greeting me en masse in June/July.

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