27th April - Now There's a Smile Upon My face

Over the last few days the feeders in the garden have suddenly emptied quite quickly.  I have noticed that the numbers of Greenfinches and Goldfinches visiting has increased lately, but at the rate the feeders were empting there must have been huge flocks.  During the early evening today the culprit was revealed in quite an amusing way.  

Looking out of the kitchen window there was a Woodpigeon perched on a branch close to the feeder.  With the sudden spring growth small branches have grown close to the feeder, and the Woodpigeons have ceased the opportunity.  

It would appear though as yet that only one has managed to perfect the trick, albeit with hilarious consequences.  Balancing on the branch it leans forward into the open port to get at the sunflower hearts

It succeeds in reaching the seed, but because the branch is very thin, and the Woodpigeon quite a heavy bird, the branch gives way resulting in the need to balance.  Cue vigorous wing flapping, and tail spreading in an effort to prevent gravity taking over, and stopping the main objective of the exercise, to take as much seed as possible.

In the end its all too much and the wing flapping becomes quite frantic in its efforts to right itself back up on the branch.

Amusing in still photographs really comical in video.

I mentioned that only one has perfected this (if that is what you call it!), but another seems to be trying to emulate the finches by landing on the perches of another feeder, it hasn't managed it, as its weight knocks the feeder away as it tries to land.  The Woodpigeons would always pick up dropped seed under the feeders, and I have recently stopped putting food out on the ground table, so this could account for why they have decided to adopt this behaviour.

The question is do I undertake some selective pruning?