Feathered Etiquette

One of the delights of the porch is the clear view of the birdfeeder.It is a tall,tubular type with six perches in sets of alternating two's. We are thrilled it appeals to the little finches and sparrows,although the cardinal couple visits daily for a little ground-feeding . It is August and the fledglings are now the size of their parents . At first glance , one would be hard pressed to tell the difference,yet close observance reveals the" kid "in them. We noticed a flurry of activity at the feeder this morning,and one bird in particular. While all the others fly in,snack quickly and fly out,this little one was taking its time .Further,it exhibited a lack of birdlike decorum in lunging at the new comers to keep them from its perch !The baby sat contentedly and munched to its heart's delight,interupted by territorial lunges. After many attempts by others to unseat the youngster,one finally succeeded...sort of . Although the new one had won the perch,it had only won the TOP of the perch,as junior was still firmly attached, only in a downward-facing position !Junior finally understood the value of sharing and after another little nibble at a different opening,flew off to attend to its business .