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Index of Subjects Good questions. I was wondering the same thing. My parents' have several Downies around the suet on a tree near to a hanging niger tube most if the day it seems. One of them (a male) always does as you describe, circling the niger feeder before going across to the suet. It does not appear to feed. I was thinking maybe this one was less dominant and checking to make sure other Downies are not nearby before crossing to the suet itself (3a Cautious). Just a guess, of course. Nancy Sent from my iPhone > On Jan 28, 2014, at 4:07 PM, Mike McCall <frogmore@xcountry.tv> wrote: > > A niger feeder hangs about six inches from my suet pie. > > Hairies and Downies sometimes fly direct to the pie and begin hammering away. > > But very often they alight on the niger tube, stare at it intently, circle around it, > continue to stare and eventually make the hop to the suet pie and tuck in. > > My question(s) are > > 1) I know that both birds will eat seeds and some grain, but is the very small opening > in the niger feeder enough for them to get their long long tongues inside to pull out > a seed? > > 2) Does this behaviour have its roots in poor vision at close range? Given their of finding food, > principal means of feeding, I doubt it. > > 3) Or are they (a) cautious? or (b) a bit thick. > > Mike McCall
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