The delightfully graphic Feb 26 letter from Johanna Norgren Jordan, (a childhood friend), inspired me to dig out this little old ditty I wrote a couple years ago about our Woodland backyard neighbors. Look for a similar bird poem in spring. Dakin
Bottle Bird Feeder
by Dakin Morehouse
Tufted Titmice on our feeder ring,
Through the soda bottle, sunflower seeds look green.
Contrasting nicely with the Cardinal lady,
Whose bright spouse prefers the ground so shady.
From nearby high branches Chickadees flit
With deadly accuracy to the plastic lip.
Nary an extra wing flap, they stall mid-flight,
Tiny talons gripping, for a fleeting seed bite.
Before hoisting aloft, give it a swing while I’m there,
The high branch and twine protect it from bear.
A myriad of Finches mottled Purple and Gold,
Intercept my playful swing, they are so bold!
Large migrating flocks briefly drop in for a snack
Enroot for parts north and on their way back.
The Sparrows and Grosbeaks visit but seasonally,
Plus a few exotics who drop in occasionally.
Though their tight-rope antics resemble play,
The inverted wok top keeps the squirrels at bay -
And the seed quite dry from the hang holes on top,
Effective recycling, though fancy feeder it’s not.
Too cramped for Blue Jay and Dove, larger birds that seed.
Must content beneath with squirrels to feed -
Where feisty little reds, silky blacks and the big gray -
Nocturnal gliders and the fat cheeked ground squirrels play.
Oh yeah, the seed does cost us a few bucks
But for the pleasure we gleam - I say shucks,
Its admittedly quite mundane, in a homely sort of manner.
But our feathered friends provide it such an elegant banner!
© Dakin Morehouse
