Safe at home

 I always find myself debating whether or not to feed the birds each winter. It's only a question in the wintertime because all summer I feed the hummingbirds as the songbirds are fully able to fend for themselves between the insects and the seeds in my yard. The hummers are a constant source of wonder and delight for me.

Once the wintertime begins the other birds come calling for the seed, peanuts, and suet I provide. The debate comes in when the snow falls. I often wake up to blood in the snow. Living along the river we have a number of raptors that happen to share the neighborhood with all of us and when I'm putting out the seed, peanuts, and suet I wonder if I'm putting out the sparrows, juncos, and Downey woodpeckers for the hawks and eagles. The blood in the snow tells me I am putting out something for beautiful winged carnivores. I would have preferred the neighborhood raptors choose the fat river rats that join in the birds' buffet but I'm never that sure who is missing when next I see them. 

I've spoken to other members of the bird feeding community and there seem to be as many opinions as there are members so there doesn't seem to be a clear answer. It's hard for all of us to see the little birds huddled in the wind and cold when that bag of sunflower seeds is right there and the feeders are empty. 

Then there are the cats. We have six or those and they spend their days basking in the sun of the south-facing windows. The day begins with intense scrutiny of those that have come to the feast and fades as the heat from the sun lulls kitties into bliss where memories of the morning spin dreams that spill out over the pedestals with whisker twitches and curling toes. 

Blue Jays, squirrels, and crows come calling when they want their peanuts, making their presence known by swooping in, calling loudly, or coming right up to the window to stare in at the kitties and they are rousted and startled with renewed attention at the windows, clicking and calling softly as if they were bidding them in to play. Half of our kitty clutch has known life in the wild and would have a reasonable idea what to do with what is outside their door but the other half did not and I'm not sure what their natural inclinations would lead them to do. They are all indoor furbabies these days though, so it is all the stuff of kitty dreams.

The hawks and eagles are such a gift to see. I know they mean death to some poor soul but I remember times when there were none to be seen anywhere except the deep woods and wild places where humans were scarce. The majestic flight of an eagle is such a sight and the sky dance of the red-tailed hawk brings me joy. There's a Cooper's Hawk that flies with incredible precision through trees and brush! I watched one take a Mourning dove out of the sky. The dove was dead before it knew it, mercifully. He's a beautiful bird, though I haven't seen him lately. (Rat poison takes a heavy toll on the raptors. I would love to see it outlawed.)

I come back to that blood in the snow. I guess my bird, squirrel, raptor buffet is a little like an Organic luncheonette for the local wildlife. There are no chemicals here, no toxins, all free-range and cage-free. So on some level, it's a good thing, and although there are a couple of river rats in the mix, I never see more than two, and each year they are different. I once had a very pretty one that was buff and white. They all aren't just gray.

For the kitties, it's breakfast and a show or dinner with a movie. I'm going to keep feeding my locals unless I see more reasons not to. There's a fox and a couple of coyotes that I have seen and lots of bunnies. Maybe there are fewer bunnies since the fox and coyotes moved in. 

 Some people nearby reported seeing a Bobcat as well, thankfully, not me. I'll stick to the domestic variety for now. 

I think my feeders might be empty, it's been a quiet afternoon. Have a Happy Hogmanay!