The Monthly Bird Feeders Meeting minutes

About a month ago in the bird feeding supplies area of Wal-Mart I stood studying the different kinds of seeds. Also standing there was a tall blond bearded guy studying the seeds also. He told me he usually got the sunflower seed, it was easier for the smaller birds to crack open. I told him I was considering the safflower seed this time for two of the feeders, so the little fellows could eat without worrying about the squirrels eating it all from them. Squirrels do not eat safflower seed. He said he heard you can mix spicy pepper seeds into your sunflower seed and they don’t like that. I told them at the Wild Bird Supply Store they have exactly that already mixed. He said if you want something somebody will sell it to you. In a way, I think he was insinuating it was cheaper to make the mixture yourself.

Last Friday night I was standing, leaning against my shopping cart, studying what was offered in the bird feeding supplies again at the same Wal-Mart and the same guy walks up. This is the second time we have crossed paths, he treated me like an old friend, or old bird feeding pal.

He told me he and his wife had 24 bird feeders they keep stocked. I said we have six, plus 3 suet feeders. He said the 24 included four suet feeders. He said with all these new subdivisions they are building the birds don’t have as many places to look for food… he added, “Somebody’s got to feed’em!”

I said, “Since it was us humans that took down the trees I think we are responsible to feed them.” He agreed.

I told him I was looking for crackling corn to scatter on the ground to attract quail. We both looked and decided they didn’t have it.

I pointed to a 5 pound sack of shelled sunflower seed and told him I bought some of that and loaded one of my window feeders and the birds have hardly touched it. It should be a treat, they don’t have to go to all that trouble cracking the seed shell… flying around looking for a good side of a tree to crack it on. They always grab one seed in their beaks and fly to the nearest limb and work on cracking it open. I would think they burn more calories from the work of eating that one seed than the seed has. Now they can just stand there and eat and eat.

He wondered why they don’t eat it.

I said I think they are creatures of habit. They don’t like change. Then I added, “I bet they really have a fit when they return to their favorite tree and find out it has been chopped down to make way for a new shopping center.” He said, that I could say that again – but I didn’t.

One of us said it would hummingbird season again soon The other one said, yep – one part sugar, 3 parts water. We wanted the other one to know we knew our stuff.

Then, we more or less said “Until next time here” by saying, “See ya later.”