Janet's Birds

Janet had an idea to put fruit on tips of branches of broken limbs, placed at the edge of our patio as a bird feeder. This plus a non-stop supply of sugar water in the hummingbird feeder has been a big hit with the local bird life (plus squirrels, lizards, a coati mundi ("pizote") and a possum).


The hummingbird feeder attracts many other thin-beaked small birds (brilliant dark blue and azure Red-legged Honeycreepers; the turquoise green and black headed Green Honeycreeper), as well as Hoffman's woodpeckers.


The brilliant yellow and dark royal blue Euphonias are the bold little fellows that come immediately followed by clay-coloured robins (CR national bird), grackles, a kiskadee, blue-gray tanagers, and a couple of aricaris (smallish toucan-like birds).


The highlight is feeding pieces of banana by hand to the aricaris. On slow approach, they cock their head, extend their neck and take banana with their ragged beak, then turn and zoom off to sit in a tree and lift up their beak and drop the banana into their throats.


With all the frenzied activity, a wall of small animals, it looks just like a Disney movie. All they need to do is start to sing and dance in unison to make it complete.


Now the Kiskadee squawks expectantly at 6:30 am, demanding more banana!

Euphonias

Aricaris

Aricari eating papaya on patio