Backyard buffet - not quite OT

"jmcquown" wrote in message
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"Joy" wrote in message
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"jmcquown" wrote in message
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"Joy" wrote in message
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I've had a lot of customers since I first started my backyard buffet.
I have a patio slab just outside the sliding glass door in the living
room. I eat my meals in a chair where I can see the patio. Several
weeks ago I noticed that my (indoor only) cats were looking through the
door intently at some birds in the yard. I decided to add to their
entertainment - and mine.

I bought a bag of birdseed, put some in an old cat dish, set it out on
the patio and watched to see what would happen. It took a couple of
days, but the birds discovering it. Gradually I expanded my buffet.
For one thing, I also scatter some seed on the patio, since only one or
two birds at a time can eat out of the dish. Next, I added about half
a dozen peanuts in the shell, hoping to attract the squirrels I see
occasionally in the yard. I started breaking up half a slice of bread
and scattering that out there, too. Then, the last time I bought
birdseed, I noticed a bell-shaped cake of the seed for under $2, so I
bought that too.

I often have 15 or 20 sparrows out there enjoying the buffet, and
frequently a few doves show up as well. When I first started putting
out the peanuts, they were carried off by crows. then a scrub jay
discovered them, and the crows moved on. Occasionally I'll see a
squirrel out there. One day a cute little mouse would run up, nibble
from the "bell", then run away. He did this repeatedly for quite a
while. The jay that seems to come most often for the peanuts has an
interesting routine. He'll pick up a nut, then drop it and pick up
another one. Sometimes he repeats this until he has picked up all of
them. Finally he flies off with one. Then he comes back for another.
If the squirrel doesn't beat him to them, he eventually takes them all.

Today, I had a couple of new customers. I think they were probably
parakeets of some sort. They were a brilliant green, with orange heads
and chests.

I don't know who gets the most out of the bouquet - the critters, the
cats or me. I think we all enjoy it, though.

Joy


Isn't it fun! I'm an avid bird watcher. Persia is, too, of course
I recommend filling the cat dish with water rather than seed and just
scattering the seed on the patio. (I've tried all sorts of bird feeders
but racoons raided and broke every single one of them.)

The peanuts are a good idea. I buy them from a local farmer (he and his
wife have a farm stand where they sell fresh produce on weekends) and
the squirrels get them. That's funny about the jay... yes, they do have
odd little routines. They have to make sure they choose the right nut!

I don't think those were parakeets you saw. I've never seen any with
orange heads. (They were the only pet I was allowed to have growing up
so I'm quite familiar with parakeets.) Where are you located? I can
look them up in my bird book.

Jill

I'm in Southern California, about 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
That would be great if you could find them in your bird book! I'd love
to know what they are.

Joy

I think what you're seeing is a Lorikeet. They're bright green and some
of them have bright orange or red heads.

Jill

Thanks. I wonder if they're native to this area, or escaped pets? I've
never seen one before.

Joy

"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...

"jmcquown" wrote in message
...

"Joy" wrote in message
...
"jmcquown" wrote in message
...

"Joy" wrote in message
...
I've had a lot of customers since I first started my backyard buffet.
I have a patio slab just outside the sliding glass door in the living
room. I eat my meals in a chair where I can see the patio. Several
weeks ago I noticed that my (indoor only) cats were looking through
the door intently at some birds in the yard. I decided to add to
their entertainment - and mine.

I bought a bag of birdseed, put some in an old cat dish, set it out on
the patio and watched to see what would happen. It took a couple of
days, but the birds discovering it. Gradually I expanded my buffet.
For one thing, I also scatter some seed on the patio, since only one
or two birds at a time can eat out of the dish. Next, I added about
half a dozen peanuts in the shell, hoping to attract the squirrels I
see occasionally in the yard. I started breaking up half a slice of
bread and scattering that out there, too. Then, the last time I
bought birdseed, I noticed a bell-shaped cake of the seed for under
$2, so I bought that too.

I often have 15 or 20 sparrows out there enjoying the buffet, and
frequently a few doves show up as well. When I first started putting
out the peanuts, they were carried off by crows. then a scrub jay
discovered them, and the crows moved on. Occasionally I'll see a
squirrel out there. One day a cute little mouse would run up, nibble
from the "bell", then run away. He did this repeatedly for quite a
while. The jay that seems to come most often for the peanuts has an
interesting routine. He'll pick up a nut, then drop it and pick up
another one. Sometimes he repeats this until he has picked up all of
them. Finally he flies off with one. Then he comes back for another.
If the squirrel doesn't beat him to them, he eventually takes them
all.

Today, I had a couple of new customers. I think they were probably
parakeets of some sort. They were a brilliant green, with orange
heads and chests.

I don't know who gets the most out of the bouquet - the critters, the
cats or me. I think we all enjoy it, though.

Joy


Isn't it fun! I'm an avid bird watcher. Persia is, too, of course
I recommend filling the cat dish with water rather than seed and just
scattering the seed on the patio. (I've tried all sorts of bird
feeders but racoons raided and broke every single one of them.)

The peanuts are a good idea. I buy them from a local farmer (he and
his wife have a farm stand where they sell fresh produce on weekends)
and the squirrels get them. That's funny about the jay... yes, they do
have odd little routines. They have to make sure they choose the right
nut!

I don't think those were parakeets you saw. I've never seen any with
orange heads. (They were the only pet I was allowed to have growing up
so I'm quite familiar with parakeets.) Where are you located? I can
look them up in my bird book.

Jill

I'm in Southern California, about 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
That would be great if you could find them in your bird book! I'd love
to know what they are.

Joy

I think what you're seeing is a Lorikeet. They're bright green and some
of them have bright orange or red heads.

Jill

Could it be this one?
http://southamerica.whatbird.com/obj..._Parakeet.aspx

Tweed

No, that isn't quite it.

Joy

"Joy" wrote in message
...
"jmcquown" wrote in message
...

"Joy" wrote in message
...
"jmcquown" wrote in message
...

"Joy" wrote in message
...
I've had a lot of customers since I first started my backyard buffet.
I have a patio slab just outside the sliding glass door in the living
room. I eat my meals in a chair where I can see the patio. Several
weeks ago I noticed that my (indoor only) cats were looking through
the door intently at some birds in the yard. I decided to add to
their entertainment - and mine.

I bought a bag of birdseed, put some in an old cat dish, set it out on
the patio and watched to see what would happen. It took a couple of
days, but the birds discovering it. Gradually I expanded my buffet.
For one thing, I also scatter some seed on the patio, since only one
or two birds at a time can eat out of the dish. Next, I added about
half a dozen peanuts in the shell, hoping to attract the squirrels I
see occasionally in the yard. I started breaking up half a slice of
bread and scattering that out there, too. Then, the last time I
bought birdseed, I noticed a bell-shaped cake of the seed for under
$2, so I bought that too.

I often have 15 or 20 sparrows out there enjoying the buffet, and
frequently a few doves show up as well. When I first started putting
out the peanuts, they were carried off by crows. then a scrub jay
discovered them, and the crows moved on. Occasionally I'll see a
squirrel out there. One day a cute little mouse would run up, nibble
from the "bell", then run away. He did this repeatedly for quite a
while. The jay that seems to come most often for the peanuts has an
interesting routine. He'll pick up a nut, then drop it and pick up
another one. Sometimes he repeats this until he has picked up all of
them. Finally he flies off with one. Then he comes back for another.
If the squirrel doesn't beat him to them, he eventually takes them
all.

Today, I had a couple of new customers. I think they were probably
parakeets of some sort. They were a brilliant green, with orange
heads and chests.

I don't know who gets the most out of the bouquet - the critters, the
cats or me. I think we all enjoy it, though.

Joy


Isn't it fun! I'm an avid bird watcher. Persia is, too, of course
I recommend filling the cat dish with water rather than seed and just
scattering the seed on the patio. (I've tried all sorts of bird
feeders but racoons raided and broke every single one of them.)

The peanuts are a good idea. I buy them from a local farmer (he and
his wife have a farm stand where they sell fresh produce on weekends)
and the squirrels get them. That's funny about the jay... yes, they do
have odd little routines. They have to make sure they choose the right
nut!

I don't think those were parakeets you saw. I've never seen any with
orange heads. (They were the only pet I was allowed to have growing up
so I'm quite familiar with parakeets.) Where are you located? I can
look them up in my bird book.

Jill

I'm in Southern California, about 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
That would be great if you could find them in your bird book! I'd love
to know what they are.

Joy

I think what you're seeing is a Lorikeet. They're bright green and some
of them have bright orange or red heads.

Jill

Thanks. I wonder if they're native to this area, or escaped pets? I've
never seen one before.

Joy

Probably escaped pets. Most of my parakeets were escaped pets. When I was
16 I got really angry at my mother for putting the bird cage on the patio.
They liked the sunshine. She'd leave the door open to the cage. I had four
of them and I walked in and the only one left was about to fly out the door.
I still feel bad about making her cry. But she lost my birds.

Jill

On Fri, 19 Aug 2011 17:08:46 -0700, "Joy" wrote:

I've had a lot of customers since I first started my backyard buffet. I
have a patio slab just outside the sliding glass door in the living room. I
eat my meals in a chair where I can see the patio. Several weeks ago I
noticed that my (indoor only) cats were looking through the door intently at
some birds in the yard. I decided to add to their entertainment - and mine.

I bought a bag of birdseed, put some in an old cat dish, set it out on the
patio and watched to see what would happen. It took a couple of days, but
the birds discovering it. Gradually I expanded my buffet. For one thing, I
also scatter some seed on the patio, since only one or two birds at a time
can eat out of the dish. Next, I added about half a dozen peanuts in the
shell, hoping to attract the squirrels I see occasionally in the yard. I
started breaking up half a slice of bread and scattering that out there,
too. Then, the last time I bought birdseed, I noticed a bell-shaped cake of
the seed for under $2, so I bought that too.

I often have 15 or 20 sparrows out there enjoying the buffet, and frequently
a few doves show up as well. When I first started putting out the peanuts,
they were carried off by crows. then a scrub jay discovered them, and the
crows moved on. Occasionally I'll see a squirrel out there. One day a cute
little mouse would run up, nibble from the "bell", then run away. He did
this repeatedly for quite a while. The jay that seems to come most often
for the peanuts has an interesting routine. He'll pick up a nut, then drop
it and pick up another one. Sometimes he repeats this until he has picked
up all of them. Finally he flies off with one. Then he comes back for
another. If the squirrel doesn't beat him to them, he eventually takes them
all.

Today, I had a couple of new customers. I think they were probably
parakeets of some sort. They were a brilliant green, with orange heads and
chests.

I don't know who gets the most out of the bouquet - the critters, the cats
or me. I think we all enjoy it, though.

Joy

Absurdity: A statement of belief manifestly inconsistent with one's own
opinion. -- Ambrose Bierce



Great story. I feed the birds during the winter but let them find
their own food otherwise. Well, not completely. I have a mulberry tree
in my little yard, and they are very nasty purple things that stain
everything. But I haven't ripped it out because the birds just love
them. I do have to spray the deck frequently to remove the purple poop
stains. So I guess that I feed the birds in summer as well.

During the winter I put out seed and even have a heated bird bath to
make sure they have somewhere to drink and bathe. I figure that this
balances out the occasional bird that my cats kill when I let them
into the yard. It's fenced in so the cats can't leave, but they do get
a bird once or twice during the year.

The cat that lives in front of the house, Baby, killed at least three
birds this summer as well as the occasional waterbug. She leaves them
on the walkway so I can't miss them. How nice to receive presents. I
guess this is the thanks for feeding her.

"Joy" wrote in message
...
"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...

"jmcquown" wrote in message
...

"Joy" wrote in message
news:4e4ff588$0$12469$
Today, I had a couple of new customers. I think they were probably
parakeets of some sort. They were a brilliant green, with orange
heads and chests.

I don't know who gets the most out of the bouquet - the critters, the
cats or me. I think we all enjoy it, though.

Joy


Isn't it fun! I'm an avid bird watcher. Persia is, too, of course
I recommend filling the cat dish with water rather than seed and just
scattering the seed on the patio. (I've tried all sorts of bird
feeders but racoons raided and broke every single one of them.)

The peanuts are a good idea. I buy them from a local farmer (he and
his wife have a farm stand where they sell fresh produce on weekends)
and the squirrels get them. That's funny about the jay... yes, they
do have odd little routines. They have to make sure they choose the
right nut!

I don't think those were parakeets you saw. I've never seen any with
orange heads. (They were the only pet I was allowed to have growing
up so I'm quite familiar with parakeets.) Where are you located? I
can look them up in my bird book.

Jill

I'm in Southern California, about 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
That would be great if you could find them in your bird book! I'd love
to know what they are.

Joy

I think what you're seeing is a Lorikeet. They're bright green and some
of them have bright orange or red heads.

Jill

Could it be this one?
http://southamerica.whatbird.com/obj..._Parakeet.aspx

Tweed

No, that isn't quite it.

Joy

Aww. I was sure I had solved it as it said a colony was in the LA area!
Never mind, it was worth a try.
What do *you* think they are?

Tweed

"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...

"Joy" wrote in message
...
"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...

"jmcquown" wrote in message
...

"Joy" wrote in message
news:4e4ff588$0$12469$
Today, I had a couple of new customers. I think they were probably
parakeets of some sort. They were a brilliant green, with orange
heads and chests.

I don't know who gets the most out of the bouquet - the critters,
the cats or me. I think we all enjoy it, though.

Joy


Isn't it fun! I'm an avid bird watcher. Persia is, too, of course
I recommend filling the cat dish with water rather than seed and
just scattering the seed on the patio. (I've tried all sorts of bird
feeders but racoons raided and broke every single one of them.)

The peanuts are a good idea. I buy them from a local farmer (he and
his wife have a farm stand where they sell fresh produce on weekends)
and the squirrels get them. That's funny about the jay... yes, they
do have odd little routines. They have to make sure they choose the
right nut!

I don't think those were parakeets you saw. I've never seen any with
orange heads. (They were the only pet I was allowed to have growing
up so I'm quite familiar with parakeets.) Where are you located? I
can look them up in my bird book.

Jill

I'm in Southern California, about 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
That would be great if you could find them in your bird book! I'd
love to know what they are.

Joy

I think what you're seeing is a Lorikeet. They're bright green and
some of them have bright orange or red heads.

Jill

Could it be this one?
http://southamerica.whatbird.com/obj..._Parakeet.aspx

Tweed

No, that isn't quite it.

Joy

Aww. I was sure I had solved it as it said a colony was in the LA area!
Never mind, it was worth a try.
What do *you* think they are?

Tweed

They showed up again yesterday, and came within a few feet of the sliding
glass door, so I could get a better look at them. the tops of their heads
aren't orange after all. Their beaks are orange, and the orange of the
feathers in front blends into the orange of the beak. After looking at
assorted pictures, I'm sure they're some variety of lorikeets, although
they're definitely not rainbow lorikeets. I found some photos that almost
matched, but the heads were bright blue instead of green. I'll have to see
them again to make sure that isn't the case with these, but I don't think it
is. There's definitely no red on them, though.

Incidentally, the mouse is back - the one who originally showed the birds
that the "bell" was worth bothering with. Today he wasn't interested in the
bell I got to replace the one that was stolen. Instead, he took one of the
unshelled peanuts, almost out from under the nose - er, beak - of a scrub
jay. I was amazed that such a tiny creature could handle the peanut.

Joy