Steve`s Country
For a smile as wide as a country sunrise
Coffee At Steve’s Country #41. Missing Birds.
Good morning to all of you on this another very cold morning! It’s clear with the sun just beginning to shine on the tops of the trees and a temperature of -33F (-36C), but no wind this morning which is nice. Not that it seemed to make a difference out there. When I went out to feed the birds it was…well, it was…cold, very cold to be exact. Lately I have been using one of these masks we need to wear now whenever I go outside. It makes a big difference, I don’t get that burning cold suddenly hitting my lungs, something that is really bothering me a lot this winter. Never did other years and I’m sure it’s a result of having Covid last year. I hope you have all helped yourself to some of that nice hot coffee already, it’s a necessary thing in this weather.
Now to missing birds. Since this cold weather has hit my bird population at the feeders has been cut back to about one third of what I had. That’s a big drop. I hope that doesn’t mean the birds have been dying. That doesn’t seem likely. Perhaps they just don’t want to travel far from their home territories when it’s so cold. Some of them do come from a long distance. Then, there is also that shrike. They will eat a small bird each day in cold weather like this. That adds up. He could be catching them as they come and go each day. When it warms up again I will find out. I’m looking out the window this morning and I notice something I have seen before, but I have not figured out why this happens. I have 3 hanging feeders out there, one is kind of heavy, they other two about the same weight. Plus two hanging suet feeders. All attached to two poles on the deck.
As I watch the one feeder begins to swing back and forth. From not moving to swinging, a lot. Then it slows down to a stop once more. Then it begins swinging again, a lot. None of the other hanging feeders are moving, not even a tiny bit. Something must cause this, and it’s not the cold weather since I have since this on milder winter days and even in the summer. The only thing in common is the fact it normally happens in the evening, but before it gets dark, or in the morning just after it gets light, but before the sun shines. Maybe it happens at night too but I’m not there looking at night. There must be a reason for this, but I just can’t figure it out. Do you have any idea? Please let me know! It has nothing to do with movement either. While I was out putting seeds out for the birds this morning walking on the deck had no effect on the feeder movement, not even when I tried to make some movement. It’s a mystery, one which doesn’t make sense, yet there has to be some reason why it happens. I would love to know. Oh well. I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday and God bless!
Steve and Muffin.
©2021 Steve McLeod.
Steve`s Country 
Such lovely flowers ! I sure hope the shrike does not eat any of your birds ! There is little activity at our feeders as well…keep warm Steve and Muffin ! Am I first today ? ☕️☕️🙂😺
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Yes, you are first today! Very good!😁🥇
Thanks so much, have a great day!😀😺☕☕🌞
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How Vibrant 😍 Red is just RED 😍 Lovely petunia And about the missing birds, maybe more people have started bird feeding 😉 be positive Steve , people admired you after all 😁 and about the moving bird feeder 😳 so strange, paranormal too 😳🤔 who is the reason behind it, Come on PI Steve, it’s time to solve this petty case up here 😁 Have a lovely day… Oops this competitor is giving me a tough competition 😂 Being the second again 😜 sure I was more down in the past today I have moved forward 😁
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More people feeding, not too likely, they will probably come back when it warms up a bit.😃 I hope anyway.😬 That swinging bird feeder is a real puzzle though,🤪 very strange.🤔😳 Yep, that competition is getting tough! Good morning!😁🌞
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See, lot of people feeding 😉 that’s a good sign for birds ☺️ PI Steve you could solve the puzzle 😁 the swinging bird cage😅. Competition gets interesting everyday 🥳
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Hmm, maybe I could put this in my story? No, better not, my story already has an odd twist in it.😂😳🙀🙀
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ha ha ha 😅😅😂😂that’s true. I still have a lot of reading to perform already 😅
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maybe the swinging feeder is due to the cold weather with the contracting etc of whatever it is hanging from or maybe just a bit of a breeze? maybe the ghosts of dead birds coming back for a meal?
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I thought of that, but it happens in the summer too, there was no breeze at all and the feeder was swinging a lot and another feeder attached to the same post and weighing about the same was not moving at all. Thanks for “weighing” in on this phenomena!
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Very cold, indeed – Take great care – amitiés 🙂
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Yes, I will, thank you Francefougere!😀😺☕☕🌞
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Hi Steve! Sorry COVID got you as well. Yes, I still have residual issues going on as well. That seems to be the norm with a lot of people with this virus. The saddest thing is that when I lost my sense of smell and taste, I could not tolerate coffee ☕️ anymore and still cannot drink it. 😔. Oh well, maybe that will change later. I drink hot tea instead. Praying you get better with the extreme cold impacting your lungs. 🙏. It’s not as if the yearly frigid winters in your neck of the woods are going away. 🥶🤣❄️
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Yep, fatigue is the worst thing for me, plus brain fog, concentration. Oh my, can’t tolerate coffee, that would be a tough one!😳 Glad that didn’t happen to me.🙄☕☕ It is so hard breathing in the cold air, just burns, never had that problem before.😬 Yes, our cold winters are here to stay! Thanks so much!😁😸
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Yep, also dealing with the brain fog, concentration and fatigue 😴. I know, that is bizarre on the coffee ☕️ , but there is someone else I know that is going through the same thing…so strange. Hope the breathing issue in the cold air passes. 😬. You’re welcome! 😁
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I bet It’s squirrel with an invisibility cloak. Great flowers
Laughing is fun Try It soon
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Now why didn’t I think of that?🤔 Those squirrels are tricky. Today the feeder wasn’t moving at all and yet it was a bit windy.😳 So strange.🙄
I agree, it is fun!!😂😹
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I’m telling you It’s them squirrels
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Hmm, maybe a flying squirrel.🤔
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You got to watch them They’re tricky
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I’m sure there is one here, would love to get a picture.
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I’ve noticed that the face masks help me to stay a bit warmer as well…
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They certainly do make a difference!
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and such a cheap solution!
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Yes, that’s right, perfect really.
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