That's one helluva long time for a photo op

Today I laughingly reminded Wing that someone accused me of setting up a nectar feeder just for photo op.

Really? 5 years on, and several more feeders put up is a helluva long time for a single photo op, yes? 

I first set one up, with bird molting vitamins, to help an injured Red Wattlebird. It has long since recovered, even raising a few broods, although it took about a year of it pretty much staying in our front yard garden. 

I was going to just take it down, and that's that. But then we had a neighbor chop down all the native nectar bearing shrubs and trees. The reason: the birds made too much noise.  7 feeders in the front yard, 2 in the back, and the birds are welcome to make as much noise in my yard as they want.

I declare Monday "The Menagerie Day"

With the help of Alan, the cats' food and water dishes have been scrubbed and refilled. Their sandboxes cleaned and refilled.

I went outside, took down, scrubbed and refilled the hummingbird feeders.  I had a chorus of Wattlebirds, and at least two varieties of honey-eaters while I worked.  When I was finished I counted 5 adult (young and resident) Red Wattlebirds, and I heard the unmistakable sound coming from the Jacaranda tree of a young fledgling Red Wattlebird begging to be fed.

It was bound to happen sooner or later

I was cleaning and refilling the hummingbird feeders.  I turned not quite right, right knee didn’t like it and I stumbled. When I reached out to get my balance, I dropped the feeder and it shattered.  *sigh* 

Have cleaned up all the glass, cleaned and refilled the remaining ones. The bright side is it was one of the smaller feeders, not the one of the large ones.  Have ordered a new one from Amazon.

It was beginning to look like a Hitchcock scene!

Wattlebirds, and New Holland, Singing, and Brown Honeyeaters all lurking and chirping because the feeders were empty!

Human heeded, took out bucket for warm soapy water, a pitcher of fresh 'nectar' and the garden hose. Scrubbed, rinsed then refilled the feeders. Put water in the ant moats.

I was watched by a Wattlebird

And a family of New Holland Honeyeaters wasted NO time to start feeding

 

Dear 'Adults'

Could you please stop your children/grandchildren/children under you care from chasing the birds in the park. 

Not just because your child ruined my photos by running at them, but also how dangerous it can be.

Had your child done that to the two adult magpies, not corellas,  there is a good chance the magpies would have gone after her. And of *course* you would blame the magpies, right?

Some people need to keep their opinions to themselves

And not have a hissy-fit, or resort to snide insults and insinuations. It's not news that we had to cut back out bottlebrush trees because of having solar panels installed (even though they don't cast shade on the roof). Because of this, a major food source for the local nectavores was removed during flowering season. We also had birds nesting nearby, brooding young birds.

 

I contacted the Melville Council about it, and D gave me the number to the Rangers, who then gave me a phone number to an Veterinary Ornithologist. After telling her the above, I got suggestions and some good advise, which I followed. I got some hummingbird feeders, got a recipe to make 'nectar', and some liquid vitamins to add to it. Once the birds figured out what these strange stiff red flowers were for, the 'locals' visited the truncated bottlebrush trees during their daily rounds.

In a bird group on Facebook, someone had a conniption fit about feeding wild birds, accusing me (and others) of only setting up feeders to create photo ops. And when I related the above about the bottlebrush trees, one woman demanded to have 'a published peer reviewed paper from this anonymous scientist of yours'. Then she implied, without flat out saying the word, I was a liar, and demanded the names.

I told her No, she could call the Melville council, and get her own referral.

I am not taming these birds. I have checked the number of photos of birds on the feeders vs birds flying, in trees, on the ground, noshing on native flora. Do I have them on feeders too? Sure do, not denying it, but more to show they are using them, not for the photo op.

And it's a good thing I have the feeders up. An adult red wattlebird came out second best in a tussle with either a raven, or kookaburra. It was badly injured, and I wasn't even sure it would survive the night. I made sure there was a feeder near it, and fresh water.  Not only did it survive, it had a safe place to recover. But I guess according to the woman above, I should have let it get weak, fall to the ground, and get savaged to death by a dog, cat or rat. Uhh, no.

The day it was injured:

2 Months later in the 'hospital tree' with feeder and water nearby.

 

I would deem this fully recovered.

And one more thing before I finish this up: I have some neighbors that cut down two perfectly healthy large nectar bearing trees. A bottlebrush tree, and a grevillea, again reducing the native flora/food supply. And this was AFTER a developer took down about a dozen tall pine trees just a few weeks prior. So, the feeders have had more visitors than usual.

So, when I see the remaining nectar bearing trees in flower, I will keep the humming bird feeders out there to make up for what I and the neighbors have removed.

I guess I had better get ready for population increase

One of my neighbors cut down a large,  full in flower grevillea.  No wonder I could hear very angry Red Wattlebirds, as that is, make that was, their nursery.  I hope there were no chicks or fledglings in it.

I have a feeling that the bottlebrush trees and the hummingbird feeders are going to have a lot more visits.