The Cowbirds and their bandit ways

Brown-headed Cowbirds alight in the tree behind the house, wait for the feeders to be filled, and then descend on the porch like a squadron of swept-winged fighters. They push out of the way the more polite little songbirds and gorge themselves much as the other neighborhood gang, the European Starlings.

Both the Starlings and the Cowbirds move in bands of intimidation and raucous arrogance... they are true bandits!

To their credit, the Starlings are very pretty with shiny purple feathers flecked with gold, and so too are the Cowbirds attractive, shiny feathers with a distinct brownish head. But... very impolite and very much unwilling to compromise.

Fortunately, the Starlings seem to limit their attacks to breakfast, and the Cowbirds seem to visit, for the most part, in the afternoons and evenings. Other times, the feeders are left to the songbirds..

The real problem with bird feeding, however, is neither Starling nor Cowbird, the real, serious problem are the vicious, cruel, sneaky cats that lurk in the underbrush...  leaping and lunging at the birds that are foolish enough to land on the ground. The neighbors, dear souls that they are, may not appreciate me soon loading up my trusty B-B gun and popping away at their satanic little darlings.

Keep Smilin'