Watching others eat is always interesting especially when they are 12 foot off the ground.
The fat ball container hangs from a Hawthorn tree outside my bedroom window, it went up on Monday morning and is proving popular with the Blue Tit and Sparrow communities along with Bull Finch, Wren, Robin, Blackbird and Crow, though the two squabbling crows this morning were arguing so much that they ended up on the lane exchanging insults whilst the smaller birds got on with their breakfast.
Flo-cat and I lay on and in my bed respectively enjoying the comings and goings whilst neither in any hurry to join them outside in sub zero temperature.
The back garden was already a busy feeding area when I went out to fill the two bird tables as there are two nut feeders and another fat ball holder out there. Soon the the tables had diners three deep around them and nut feeders certainly needed topping up.
I heard someone on the radio asking what luxury people wouldn't give up even as fuel, grocery, water bills etc continue to go up and up. It was interesting to hear that good quality freshly ground coffee seemed to be a mainstay of the list but what made me smile was someone emailing to say that though they spent £12 a week on wild bird food it was THE luxurey they would not give up. I smiled because I knew what they meant as they went on and said the gift of wild birds in ones garden cannot be quantified in financial expenditure.
I thought about this and realised that for me feeding the birds is not a luxury it is an essential as their chat, song and general busy flitting back and forth around my home is a joy not easily lost to my eye and heart. There is also the matter of commitment, I have offered the birds food for years and know that especially the sparrow community depends on this to survive and thrive along with Tits and Finches who all fledge their young here. Then there are the Nuthatch, Woodpecker, Jay, Doves and others who stop by regularly.
So, maybe I do eat an extra lentil meal from time to time but I'm still eating and the wild birds do too.