Saturday was beautiful. We got dressed in our outdoor clothes, bought some sunflower seeds to feed the birds, and headed out to the Jack Pine Trail in the Greenbelt.
Rachel (to each chickadee who landed on her hand): "Thank you for dining at Chez Rachel. Please come again."
Awesome. Love those girls.
ReplyDeleteIt's so awesome when the birds are biting, but my kids get so disappointed when they don't I almost hesitate to go.
ReplyDeleteJen - They're pretty fond of you too.
ReplyDeleteAllison - They're pretty friendly this time of year if you're standing near the feeders. We had 20 or so flying all around us. I think the secret is to bring only the black sunflower seeds. They turn their beaks up at mixed seeds. We even had a nuthatch or two come down for a bite to eat.
Wow --my kid would LOVE to have a chickadee land on her hand to eat! What makes the birds in that area so friendly?
ReplyDeleteCassi - Chickadees seem to fear humans less than other bird species, it's not just in this area. Also, I'm sure the population in the Greenbelt has been habituated to human presence. Feeders are maintained along the trails, and the chickadees have learned that people=food. Also, they are less likely to feed from your hand in the summer, when other food sources (insects, etc.) are plentiful. One summer hike we had only one chickadee take sunflower seeds from our hands, but in the fall and winter they are more motivated to hand feed.
ReplyDeleteHaha. Good service may not be 'for the birds' after all.
ReplyDeleteWe didn't do too badly when you took me there with the girls last summer. It was a thrill for me too when in all I had four or five eat from my hand. Loved the area, you are so lucky to have trails like that to walk on.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment Alison. I am a lurker on your blog but have it in my subscriptions on google reader.
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