by Cheryl Batavia

Pecking Order & Backyard Politics

Photo of a gray squirrel by Brad from Unsplash

Pecking Order & Backyard Politics

Photo of a squirrel by Praswin Prokash from Unsplash

Who is top diner at the feeder?

Nobody dares to challenge or quarrel

with this unelected leader;

the king of birdseed is…the squirrel!

Red-bellied woodpecker. Photo by Jack Bulmer from Unsplash

Photo of Eastern blue jay by Matthew Schwartz from Unsplash

Woodpecker with rapier beak

is top bird at the table.

Even aggressive blue jays seldom seek

to resist him… They’re not able!

Mourning Doves. Photo by Stephan Gogov from Unsplash

Doves in pairs feed side-by-side…

Woodpeckers and jays are intimidated!

For doves in teams, they stand aside…

teamwork to be emulated!

Photo of cardinal by Stephen Walker from Unsplash

Cardinals, bright, spritely little creatures,

take everything in stride.

They’re much more than their flashy features…

They model confidence and pride.

Tufted Titmouse. Photo by Jack Bulmer from Unsplash

Tiny titmice hang out on the ground

as diners scatter seeds on the lawn,

eating leftovers they have found,

visiting feeders when bullies are gone.

Photo of grey catbird by Jack Bulmer from Unsplash

Photo of brown thrasher by Joshua J. Cotten from Unsplash

Catbirds and brown thrashers

visit feeders sporadically.

All birds flee these party crashers

who disrupt community hierarchy!

Photo by J. A. Uppendahl from Unsplash

Photo of rabbit by Andrew Coop from Unsplash

Raw peanuts scattered on the ground

attract everyone, even rats and rabbits.

Squirrel visits to feeders slow down…

a pause in squirrels’ pushy habits!

Squirrel eating a peanut. Photo by Ms. Uppy from Unsplash

Hope you enjoyed this overview

of backyard politics and pecking rights.

Feeders bring animals close to you…

Proximity provides fresh insights!

Copyright© 2024 by Cheryl Batavia

Note to Prospective Bird Feeder Owners:

Bird feeders are outlawed in California. Signs in many places say, “Danger! Do Not Feed the Bears!” or “Unlawful to Feed Wildlife Here” or “Don’t Feed the Alligators!” There are good reasons for such warnings. Feeding some wild animals can cause them to lose their fear of people and become aggressive and dangerous. Feeding some wild animals can make them dependent on humans and less able to survive on their own.

In our neighborhood, lots are being cleared for new construction, and animal habitats are disappearing at a fairly rapid rate. Endangered gopher tortoises in our neighborhood have been displaced, losing their homes when a new house was built on the site of their ancestral burrows.

Gopher tortoise at burrow. Photo in the public domain, origin unknown

We often see gopher tortoises eating grass in our yard and believe they may have dug new burrows in the wooded lot behind our house. The underground network of gopher tortoise burrows is routinely used by a variety of animals, so the impact of losing these safe passages is not limited to the tortoises who dug the burrows.

A new house was recently built diagonally behind us. I think some of the birds and animals we are seeing at the bird feeders once made their homes on the site of the new house.

I don’t know whether I am doing the right thing putting up bird feeders. I hope it is the right thing. I rationalize that the animals are still fending for themselves from when the feeders are empty in the late afternoon until I fill them again around 7:30 in the morning.

If I am ever able to do so, I will purchase the wooded lots beside us and behind us to preserve a bit of animal habitat.

When considering whether or not to feed wild animals, I believe we must follow the laws, and then let conscience be our guide.

Thank You, Joanna, for your advice on feeding birds! They are a joy to watch!

Visit Joanna’s beautiful and informative website, naturetails.blog

💚

One More

Raccoons are mostly nocturnal, but nursing females also feed during the day in order to provide their babies adequate milk. My daughter, Katey Batavia, took these photos of Mama Raccoon eating peanuts under our bird feeder in broad daylight.

Although raccoons are delightful to watch, we don’t seek to feed raccoons; they can carry rabies and have an annoying habit of raiding garbage cans and scattering garbage. Our garbage cans are secured with bungee cords.

But how can you begrudge a hungry mama and her babies a few peanuts under the bird feeder?

47 Comments

  5. Unknown's avatar

    Thomas, what a wonderful idea to have a feeder with a camera! ❤️

    We have hawks and bobcats here, and a feral cat shows up sometimes.

    I see as many as 9 squirrels at a time.

    The birds watch for me every morning. Sometimes cardinals perch on the window sills and look in at me. The squirrels have taken to climbing screens on windows and the lanai and looking around. I was surprised to have animals as curious about me as I am about them!😊

    Liked by 1 person

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  8. Unknown's avatar

    A beautiful, pictorial story, Cheryl, with a great message! You’re a great nature lover, like Joanna. I appreciate that you chose to write on this subject, as people find any excuse, some are legal too, for not feeding creatures, but your last line says it all. Well done 👏 ❤️

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    1. Unknown's avatar

      Thank you, KK for your generous comment! ❤️ I am so happy that you enjoyed the post. Watching the animals at the bird feeders is a source of endless pleasure and surprise!

      I was very surprised that many of the birds and animals are as curious about me as I am about them. Sometimes birds perch on the window ledge and peek in at me. The squirrels climb all over the screens on the lanai and and try to se what is going on inside. Every morning, the birds wait for me. 🐦‍⬛

      I love the photos from your garden of roses and birds. Do you feed the birds?

      Take care! 🐿️

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. Unknown's avatar

        I did enjoy your post, Cheryl. It’s my pastime to observe human and animal behaviour. And you’re right, bird and animals are as interested to know about we humans, as we are about them. I do feed birds, but there is an advisory against feeding pigeons. My regards 🙏💐💖

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Unknown's avatar

      Frank, so glad you could relate. I am not surprised that you enjoyed feeding and observing the birds! 😂

      Thank you so much for the information about the popup. I had no idea it was on my site! I will follow your instructions and attempt to get rid of it!

      I look forward to spending some time with you at the beach very soon. 💕😎💕

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  10. Unknown's avatar

    PS: Off topic – This is something that many blog owners don’t know happens on their blogs – but encounter it when commenting on others. After readers submit their comment, a “Subscription” popup box appears. This is something WP added (and annoys many). I recently learned how to remove it if you don’t want it.

    If you want to disable it, go to your Dashboard, then Settings > Newsletter …. In the first box (Subscriptions), turn off “Enable subscription pop-up for commenters” …. then click Save (in the Subscriptions banner).

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  13. Unknown's avatar

    What a great way to tell of the natural world via poetry! Really enjoyed (and learned alot) about the star characters in these poems! I’m so sad to hear of the gopher tortoise’s plight…I’m kinda a turtle/tortoise gal. 😦
    It’s easy to get a false sense of security of their safety since the huge efforts to aid in their nesting/hatching seasons are more visible to the public.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Unknown's avatar

      I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed the poem, Laura. Thank you for your lovely comment. I research any bird or animal I have seen before I write about it, so I learn a lot too. 💕

      The gopher tortoises are endangered. They live in a dry, sandy “prairie” habitat which is fairly rare in Florida. Construction is reducing their habitat even further.

      There are two preserve about half an hour away where the tortoises and scrub jays are protected. I have picked tortoises up from the road and put them out of harm’s way a couple of times. They are medium-sized tortoises, but amazingly heavy for their size!

      I once stopped a young tourist from putting a tortoise in the Gulf of Mexico. He was a nice kid and didn’t mean any harm. He carried the tortoise away from the water when I asked him to.

      If you are ever in SW Florida, you might want to visit the preserve. There is also an Indian Mound, and both are in Englewood on Lemon Bay. 😊

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    1. Unknown's avatar

      That’s good to know, Ingrid! I am glad you are free to feed birds. 😊

      Feeding animals is regulated by state governments here, but there are also regulations in many parks and preserves.

      There are no bears in my neighborhood, but we do see bobcats occasionaly. We also have hawks, and sometimes we see a feral cat.

      Have a great weekend! ❤️

      Liked by 1 person

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  16. Unknown's avatar

    What a delightful poem, Cheryl and soooo good to have you back. I didn’t know that bird feeders were illegal in California as I’d never know it with as many as I see.
    Love this: “backyard politics and pecking rights. Feeders bring animals close to you…Proximity provides fresh insights!”

    So much good information you’ve gathered watching the birds and critters. You know, I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing (except for the rats and racoons we have) but it makes you happy and that’s what I care about! Plus, we get the gift of your way with words and the beautiful photos you took. Amazing! Joanna is a kindred spirit of the animals for sure! And you know if I didn’t have so many mouths to feed, I just might follow in your footsteps. I do however have wonderful plants that attract them which I’m happy about.
    Welcome Back! You have been missed! It’s so good to see you!
    ❤️

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    1. Unknown's avatar

      Thank you for your kind response, Cindy. I just wanted to let you know that I just posted a book review (of sorts) of *Celebrating Poetry *on my site. Thank you so much, Cindy for your wonderful book. It was a help to me when I really needed it. 💕 Lots of love, Cheryl

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      1. Unknown's avatar

        Oh I’m so grateful to you for that, Cheryl. Is this to your daughter that teaches those classes? Therapists have suggested I send it to offices and I’ve been wanting to do that but you know well how there aren’t enough hours in the day. 😮💕

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    4. Unknown's avatar

      Thank you for your very kind comment, Cindy. I am so happy that you enjoyed the post! ❤️

      When I read that bird feeders were outlawed in California, my thought was that if I lived in California, I would plant sunflowers and other plants birds like, just as you have done!

      Take care, Cindy! Have a blissful week ahead! 🕊️🐿️ 🐞🦋🐠

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  17. Unknown's avatar

    Enjoyed the politics…squirrels here eat with the birds. Birds are chatter boxes. 😀
    I loved your description. So many colors and beautiful pictures of birds. Enjoyed the feeding post.

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  18. Unknown's avatar

    Fortunately, study shows birds do not habituate to feeders, purely a convenience. Not true for other creatures as you pointed out and don’t get me started on those Trash Pandas ha. Our top feeder at the feeder is the Red-Bellied Woodpecker – he comes in and everyone shifts away rightfully. The Cooper’s Hawk is the other top dog so to speak for another reason as it sits at the tree line, waits for the feeders to fill up with birds and then swoops in to nab anything that gets caught in the bustle to flee.

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    1. Unknown's avatar

      Brian, it is so reassuring to know that birds do not become habituated to feeders. I certainly do not want to cause them any harm! I hear hawks and see them flying overhead, but they don’t seem to come near the feeder. Not so with the feral cat we sometimes see. The rats seem very cautious lately, ducking into the underbrush when they feel threatened.

      Have a great week! 🐿️

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    1. Unknown's avatar

      Thank you, Rupali. Glad you liked the post. ❤️

      Unlike you, I am not a great photographer. I am grateful that lovely free photographs are available. It does take a lot of time to find photos. I especially like the snow scenes you posted recently. ❄️

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