Thursday, November 30, 2006
A Bird Feeder for a Chickadee!
“Don’t Move!” I said to my husband in a barely audible whisper. He froze. We were sitting on our back deck enjoying a warm summer day. He was reading, as always, and enjoying a cold ice tea.
He asked me what was wrong. I told him to slowly look at his right shoulder. His response was immediate. “Is it a wasp?” He hates bees.
“No!” I whispered. “It’s a Chickadee.”
The next few minutes were breath taking for us both!
The little wild bird cautiously walked down my husband’s arm to his hand.
My husband was holding a small bowl of shelled peanuts. He loves to eat peanuts. But, now it looked like he was going to have to share his treat.
The Chickadee looked back at him, as if to say, “May I have one, or two, please?”
When my husband did not make any motion, the Chickadee carefully reached into the bowl and plucked out a plump peanut.
When the little feathered felon flew away with his booty, I laughed out loud. I was delighted to have witnessed this little escapade!
Three or four more times that afternoon the little Chickadee returned to his perch on my husband’s shoulder and made his way to the bowl of peanuts, his temporary bird feeder.
This little event has been a topic of conversation in our family ever since.
I have been feeding the birds in our backyard for many years. Although he has never been as crazy about bird watching as I have been, my husband has always been tolerant of my passion for my hobby.
He supported me by carrying the heavy bags of seed in from the car. He patiently moved the feeder poles around until I was satisfied with the position of a new feeder.
But, after his experience with the little Chickadee on his shoulder, He was hooked! He now understood why backyard bird feeding is such a fun and also addictive hobby.
Together, we have travelled to trade shows looking for new products for our backyard bird feeding hobby.
But, let me tell you another story about my husband and his little Chickadee friend.
One day a few weeks after his first encounter with the peanut thief, my husband was working in the family room. He heard a “tap” “tap” “tap”. He went to the door. But no one was there. A few moments later he heard it again. “tap” “tap” “tap”.
But, before he could get to the door the tapping started once again. This time he realized that the sound was coming from the glass patio door. When he looked, he could not believe his eyes. There was a little Chickadee. (My husband is sure that it was his little friend.)
A quick look outside revealed the reason for the tapping on the door.
The bird feeder was empty!
Wondering if a full feeder would satisfy his feathered friend, my husband proceeded to take some seed outside to the feeder.
Once he went out onto the deck. The Chickadee did not fly away. Instead, he flitted about near my husband while the feeder was being filled.
Almost as soon as the lid was put back on the feeder our little feathered friend landed and proceeded to eat.
That day, my husband told me that he now knew why I was so passionate about backyard bird feeding.
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