(Black-capped Chickadee - photo by Neil Barker - January 14, 2024)
In a thicket of trees and hedges, stands a tree near a trail.
This little tree holds a flat stone, placed for a special purpose.
Passing by the flat stone, ask yourself: have you paid the seed tax?
I took these photos on January 14, 2024. I regularly go past this tree on my hikes at the local conservation area. Someone had placed a flat stone in the tree as a feeder for the birds. I left sunflower seeds as an offering to my trail companions. I think of it as a seed tax that I happily pay.
The Black-capped Chickadees near this stone will also bring in a Northern Cardinal or two. Like my experience on other trails, yhe cardinals will not approach the feeder if I stand close by so I will walk away and let them eat in peace. This part of the trail is like a tunnel with branches above so merlins or hawks would not be able easily see my trail companions.
On this hike, I counted about 4-5 chickadees doing their dine, dash, and cache with the sunflower seeds. I wonder if they knew that in the next few days the Ottawa area would get a lot of snow and the temperatures would drop significantly.
On my hikes this weekend, I will pass by this tree and be sure to pay the seed tax.
Love this - like giving an offering to the birds at a sacred shrine.
The idea of a seed tax is a great way of thinking of it! Always a pleasure to observe chickadees doing the “dine, dash, and cache”