A lesson from Bully Bird

A Lesson from Nature

When we first moved our RV to the country, I would notice all kinds of birds flitting about as I gazed out my office window. So I decided to put up some bird feeders and see what kind of birds I could attract.

A week went by I hadn’t seen any birds at the feeder, no feed was missing from any of the containers. Week two goes by, still no birds. Now, I have had many feeders at many locations that I have lived around the country. I had always been able to pull in birds of all kinds. So I was starting to get really curious as to why no birds were interested in my feeders.

Week three I am working at my desk, taking a mental break and staring out the window. I notice a beautiful female cardinal flying in very briefly and then she flies away. Right after her a beautiful male cardinal flies in and sits a bit to feed and as soon as he does a mockingbird swoops in and chases him away.

“That’s not cool” I thought to myself

Few more minutes go by in a finch flies in to eat from one of the feeders. Just like clockwork the mockingbird swoops in and chases him off too.

Now I’m starting to get a bit perturbed at this mockingbird.

I wanted a beautiful variety of birds to view and enjoy ... instead all I get is one stinking mockingbird that bullies any bird that shows up AND takes all the food for himself.

My husband and I named him the Bully Bird, no matter where we move the feeders or what bird flies in for a snack, this mockingbird shows up and chases them off.

A few months have gone by and I have given up on attracting any variety of birds.

Then, one day I’m sitting at my desk with the window open, working away on a project. My mind is suddenly distracted. I start to hear this glorious melody. Variety of chirps and whistles and swooping notes. It went on for the longest time. I scanned the area and saw Bully Bird sitting on the phone pole singing the day away. He stayed at leas 10 minutes offering up his amazing repertoire of songs.

“Well,” I thought “If this guy is going to share his beautiful voice with me, the least I can do is make peace with the fact he’s going to be the only bird at my feeders.”

Nature is such a wonderful teacher. The lesson that ‘things are not always as they seem’ is a simple lesson which in turn also makes it easy to forget. Sure the mockingbird is quite territorial, but what appears to be a bully is also a glorious song bird.

Now, several times a day my song bird friend shows up to serenade me.

Thank you, my feathered friend for sharing your songs with me. Enjoy the buffet! In the meantime, I’ll come up with a more appropriate name for you