The Hamburger Eating Junco, Donald Trump Extirpates a One of a Kind Ecosystem AND Small Farms to Boot, plus a Barrier System to Make Feeder Birds Safer

Alert:  I've published two blogs today so scroll down to the next one as well.

Here is the Dark-eyed Junco (previously named a Slate colored Junco ) who eats raw hamburger.    I had no idea they ate meat!

And here is the slightly off hamburger originally served up for the remnant Crow family in the area.  Many of their family have died of West Nile Virus so I do what I can for the survivors . 

Back to Junco who refused to be photographed dining on his carnivore snack,  but I'll keep trying to catch him in the act.

Next up Donald Trump, who really isn't, no matter your political leanings,  a nice man at all. In fact he's an enormous bully in speech and behavior.  Nothing must stand in the way of  his making money,  or "marring" the view of his Scottish golf whether it be a few scattered small family farmers or an irreplaceable dune ecosystem.

The conservative friends I've shared this documentary with have immediately chosen a different Republican candidate as  their choice for president.  As it turns out Mr. Trump lies...a lot.

I actually was on a search engine looking information on some of the United States early presidents of Scottish extraction when a link for the movie appeared. 

Take your pick from the list below.  And for the frugal you can watch the film,  for free with a free introductory offer on Hulu...then just eventually refuse the member offer. 

Hulu

From $2.99 iTunes

From $2.99 Amazon Video

From $2.99 Vudu

 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1943873/

 Next up...THE EVENING EATING CARDINALS
 I'd begun to notice that my three pair of Cardinals were only at the feeders at dawn and dusk and I worried they might not be getting enough to eat in the cold weather.   

It became obvious that they were avoiding someone who wasn't up and hunting yet or had already gone to roost. 

Like a Cooper's Hawk maybe?

Therefore I began throwing seed onto the snow in a small area sandwiched between the chain link fence of the dog's run and the old very twiggy lilac bush up against the rear wooden fence in the side yard.

The area was  a smash hit with the bright Cardinals and the ground feeding Dark-eyed Juncos were sold immediately

Why?

For our own unthinking convenience we tend to place feeders where there is an open view for us to watch the birds at our feeder.  Grand for us not so grand for prey birds. Without the barriers here the hawks could conceal themselves in the eaves of houses, from a tree in the next block and come in on a straight trajectory and snatch the little feeding birds. 

It isn't a fair fight.  

Of course everyone has to eat but allowing your feeding station to become a free for all smorgasbord for accipitors is a bit too easy for the hawks.


Nature rarely has a bountiful birdie feast sitting in the middle of no cover at all like many bird feeders.  And then folks freak out that their feeder birds are getting eaten.

 When if given the option, they can head for cover at a moments notice. And of course I've got the birdie piles of twigs for the other feeders.

Speaking of which, next up is a visit from a Cooper's Hawk and how the Birdie Piles of twigs work!

Happy hawking!
Donegal Browne