We bought a new birdfeeder for the New Year. Day 1: no birds found it, even though there were birds pecking on the leftover seed on the ground right below it, and they just left. Day 2: Came the brave and smart first one, who discovered the new birdfeeder. The feeder is designed half sealed in a window-ish container, tilted, so with gravity, when there’s enough weight on the bar, say a hungry bird showed up standing on the bar, the food in the container will roll to the outlets where the birds can enjoy. One great highlight of this design is the bar where the bird stands will automatically shut when the weight is too much, like a squirrel for example. Ha! This is the first time (so far), the designer outsmarted the squirrels. Until now, I haven’t seen a single squirrel make it.
However, the birds themselves are putting on a great show already. As the first bird discovered the food source, he had a high time all to himself. Then a second bird showed up, tried to sneak in from the side to enjoy as well. The first bird gave up his buffet right away, using his beak to chase the outsider away. He learned his surrounding well enough, he turned his body lengthwise, so that he can cover more of the food. Once he even opened his wings to use wingspan to cover more food slots. What a genius! He stayed long enough to gorge himself, finally left on his own, then the second bird got chance to land and enjoy. The funny thing is the second bird is doing the same thing as the first bird, spent much more energy preventing other birds from eating than enjoying his own food.
It reminds me of the California Gold Rush of 1849, be it birds or humans, no difference. One bird at a time, one show at a time, life is repeating itself. Sometimes we are laughing at the birds, sometimes we are the birds.