Sows or something like that . The Jays around my place sure like the suet though . Maybe they ’ re Woodpeckers in disguise . I wouldn ’ t put it past them , although I can ’ t figure out why they would . Maybe they put on Blue Jay suits so they can go out amongst the commoners and mingle .

Just for fun ( my fun ), I put heavy-duty fishing swivels on the chains the feeders hang from . You can get ‘ em at Morrison ’ s in Alpine in their small but well- stocked sporting goods section . It proved to be as entertaining as prime time tv . Everybody had to adapt to the new protocol , dancing the funky chicken while dining .

The Towhees first landed on it expecting a little swinging back and forth like a tree limb . Instead it went spinning around like a waiter with a tray full of Margaritas stepping on a rasher of raw bacon . They had to fight to hang on , fluttering madly to try and keep balance . A couple even fell off a time or two . ( No harm . They ’ re birds . They fly .) They ’ re a little clumsy . Comes from living under a Ford , maybe . It didn ’ t take long , though , for them to catch on and master the art of eating while gyring and gimballing . A fat man will learn to fry that bacon pretty quick if he has some and nobody will cook it for him . Incentive , right ?

The Woodpeckers love it ! Talking about a critter that embraces change ! They ’ ve learned to hit it at full throttle , hard , close to the end of the stick and see how many spins they can get . They ’ ve got their little beaks stuck out away from the feeder itself , yelling “ skit ! skit !” and getting several complete panoramic views of their kingdom as they spin . They consider it their own personal greasyspoon buffet merry-go-round .

The other birds , as befitting their lower status , scram as soon as they see the Woodpecker zooming in . They push off when they bolt , causing more and faster swiveling . One Big Jay , fleeing the king ’ s approach , took off in a panic , really giving the stick a hard push . This caused the Woodpecker to completely miss his landing . He ’ d been flying at top speed , being the brazen daredevil he naturally was , and upon failing to ‘ stick ’ the landing , ended up crashing into a cluster of hummingbird feeders . We all laughed . Well , I did . I ’ m pretty sure the Towhees got a good chuckle . I assume the other birds did too . I mean , why wouldn ’ t they , right ? I loves me Woodpeckers , but I gotta say , they are arrogant little twits . > skit !< > skit !<

Cenizo Summer 2021