Spring brings a new dynamic to your garden, and naturally also to your garden birds. Insects start arriving (often in little spurts as a particular species emerges from a characteristic phase of metamorphosis). And then also the fruit ripens.
A standard question is how this affects feeding. In fact, the fun is multiplied in your garden, as you observe the birds, and notice their little habits and idiosyncrasies. An observant birder will definitely notice a dropoff in the volume of your offered food being consumed at the feeder over short periods, and increases again at other times – and will adapt feeding accordingly. Obviously, we want to encourage the birds to eat the natural food (actually they need no encouragement!)
This morning we have a new visage in the mulberry tree across our street. It suddenly ripened, and is teaming with birdlife. Included were a pair of African Green Pigeons (Treron calva), that we rarely see, and the local swarm of mousebirds – an absolute pleasure to behold.
The point is, we always feed fruit. Now, we will cut back a little over the next week and be observant. It will probably be all over in the mulberry tree within 2 weeks, and then back to the proverbial “porridge and old clothes”.
(PS: A hint. If the termites start leaving a nest - typically after a rain - and bee-eaters arrive to take them as they go, you have the best entertainment of spring!)
