Expectantly waiting

Ten men waiting for me at the door? Send one of them home, I'm tired. 

 - Mae West 

A Laughing Dove expectantly waiting while I fill the bird feeders - I was a bit late that morning and felt very guilty as there were about ten of them all clustered in the tree above the feeder, thinking that it being Saturday was no excuse… 

It is one of my morning rituals filling all the bird feeders - I'm up very early every day (about 4am), when I spend some time on my MAC connecting with all my virtual friends. Then at about 6.30am it's time for a shower and getting dressed, after which all the jugs and buckets get filled, ready to tackle the feeding job.

 

First comes the feeder in my bathroom court-yard garden - this one, above, is one Solly made for me out of some scrap wood I had lying around. Filled with some corn, wild bird seed and some fruit-of-the-day, I move on to the garden, where I have three more feeders.

This one used to be some fancy feeder, but lost most of its parts over the years and now hangs upside down, also filled with corn and wild bird seed. The bars seem to keep away the bigger and more aggressive birds and gives all the smaller birds and timid doves a chance to feed. 

An apple spiked on a tree branch just above the feeder. 

Next is the fruit feeder - a piece of slate with holes drilled in and nails and chains attached - here a daily smorgasbord of apples, bananas, oranges and any other fruit in season and suet and minced meat is served. The Black-headed Oriole pictured here is a frequent visitor, as is the Black-eyed Bulbuls, White Eyes and Crested Barbets. 

As all you bird-lovers know, your garden birds soon get 'spoilt' and become dependent on these daily feeds we put out, especially in winter, and going on holiday becomes a major feat of organising staff or a friend to take over the job while you are gone. You wouldn't leave your dog or cat without anybody to care for them, why would you leave 'your' birds unattended? Once you take on this job of feeding, you're stuck with it forever!

Did you know that there is a National Bird Feeding Society? They help people create bird-friendly habitats by turning backyards into an oasis for birds. The Society's web site offers tips for bird feeding, information on feeders and food,  and research on the dynamics of bird feeding,.

Camera : Canon EOS 550D Location : Tarlton, Gauteng, South Africa

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