With apologies to American blackbirds

Dear Brigitta,

Last year I had an onslaught of black birds, the large, dark, starlings, grackles, cowbirds, at the end of the season. They raided and pillaged the feeders, throwing much of the seed to the ground in search of whatever they were searching for. 

At the feed store I learned darker birds prefer the richer, more oily seeds and nuts, and they avoid all the light colored seeds. We adopted a strategy of refilling the savaged feeders with safflower the next time and found the raiders would avoid us for a couple of weeks. 

I objected to the wanton waste of their actions, not the actual feeding of them. The ground crew, the doves, the cardinals and the squirrels feasted on the waste on the ground, but I didn't like the little birds, the cheeky little chickadees, the titmouses, needing to be on the ground, under the watchful eye of Purrl, who would not object to a tasty morsel.

I'm thinking the blackbird I saw yesterday may be the first I've observed at the feeder. He ate very politely from the block of cranberries and nuts, then had a go at a regular feeder. All the feeders are calibrated; any too heavy bird or adventurous squirrel closes the feeder. The blackbird was too heavy, and soon left. Given their intelligence I'm surprised he did not learn, as the starlings and grackles did, the system can be defeated by bouncing.

Last winter one squirrel learned to hang on to a tree branch by a thread, slide down the long black hook, reach over the lid of the feeder and snatch a fistful at a time. He got full marks for wit and no squirrel baffle was added to the cylinder feeders.

So, to the blackbird, who may well be the very one who wakes me every morning, I apologize. If you associate with any of those crazed grackles or starlings, you might mention that a raid on my feeders means everyone goes on short rations of safflower seed only for the next week.