Wildlife: Heidi Chronicles: Question to All Readers, 1 by DreamOfSpring

DreamOfSpring wrote:
Hi Amanda,

In truth, no number of wildlife types could ever stand in for the close relationship I enjoyed with Heidi - but I do understand your sentiment and know that you meant it well, just trying to look for the some kind of silver lining amongst the clouds, and I would do the same. Actually, over the early years of my garden, back when I was still able to get around well enough to keep a thriving and overflowing bounty of plants, including many with fruits, berries, and seeds and when I offered an abundance of bird seed and hummer nectar, I had quite an awesome array of animal visitors around here - and still do to some extent. The presence of the raccoons here at night didn't seem to effect that.

The poor little goldfinches have stayed around and are still here today, but I'm afraid the cats have dogged them something awful, keeping watch over their feeder and making it difficult for them to eat in peace. Thankfully, I've not seen any sign of a 'catch' so far, most likely because the little birds are very much aware of the cats' presence and so far have chosen to forgo eating when the cats are on guard. Now that the cats are watching them, the goldfinches spend much of their day in the top canopy of a taller tree looking down on the cats (and the nyjer), swooping down to the feeders for a quick bite or two whenever the cats get bored and take a break.

Below is one of the two pics I got of a colorful male. I don't know if I mentioned, but the nyjer feeders are only inches outside the great room window (a 5-6ft wide window that extends from some 21" off the floor all the way up to about a foot from 'the ceiling' and which makes for excellent up-close viewing). This pic was taken through the window, from inside the great room. It's not a great pic but it serves to record that they were here - in case this awesome event, the goldfinches staying this long after getting their summer colors, never happens again. (I looked everywhere for my pics of them in winter color for comparison but couldn't find them, probably in storage.)

As I tried to take pics from across the room, it was clear to me that they were very much aware of my presence and were on edge at the realization that I was watching them, this no doubt a side effect of knowing they are being stalked by predators (the cats). The brightly colored males in particular went out of their way to hide from me, making it all but impossible for me to get a good picture including faces. They stayed mostly on the far side of the feeder where I could not see or photograph them and even moved around the feeder as I moved around the room to try and gain access to them. On the rare occasion that one came into view, I settled for any quick pic I could get. Then when the auto flash went off on the 2nd pic, they fled to the cover of the taller tree nearby where they remained until I left the room. Realizing that I was interfering with their efforts to eat, I decided not to try for better pics.

I've enjoyed having them here and am overjoyed to have had this opportunity to finally see them in their full summer colors, but now I hope they will leave soon, both to insure they do not become cat food and to make sure they don't loose anymore value time from what I'm sure is already all too short a breeding season in their home area. It would probably not be good for the females to be traveling while gestating. I would hate to see this delayed departure adversely effect the next generations. And as much as I love my cats and understand the cycle of life thing, I fear I would be hard-pressed to view them the same should I find a sad pile of bright yellow feathers on my patio.