Subject: [Tweeters] from Birds & Bloom
Date: Oct 14 20:54:22 2005
From: Linda Phillips - sweetmem at juno.com


Birds Enjoy Good Clean Fun

FROM opposite ends of the country, readers report seeing "pool parties"
at their birdbaths. "Last October," writes Pamela C. of Cazadero,
California, "a mixed flock of about 50 birds flew into the hazelnut tree
next to our birdbath. Juncos, chickadees, a ruby-crowned kinglet, a
Hutton's vireo, a few golden-crowned kinglets and seven Townsend warblers
began competing for the bath.

"Water splashed everywhere as the birds bullied each other out of the
birdbath. All the excitement caught the attention of an Anna's
hummingbird, which hovered by the birdbath to see what the fuss was all
about. As if that wasn't enough, a brown creeper flew into the tree to
check things out.

"The birds continued to jostle each other in the crowded bath until two
Steller's jays flew down and chased all the others away. But the last
laugh was on the jays -- by that time, most of the water was gone!"

In Vestal, New York, Barbara L. enjoyed watching an amusing game played
by sparrows that frequent her birdbath. "It began with one sparrow
perched comfortably on a rock I'd placed in the middle of the birdbath.
Another sparrow would decide that the bird on the rock had been there
long enough and dive-bomb the rock-sitter, knocking it off its perch.

"As soon as the rock-sitter got pushed off, another bird would take its
place, and the game would start all over again. As this was going on,
other sparrows were leaping from the bath's edge and skimming across the
water to the other side. I thoroughly enjoying watching those little
birds at play."

Linda Phillips