Operant conditioning

Since the suet feeder was empty, the bark butter balls were the main attraction.  Bluebirds , of course, were already fans.  The chipping sparrow took an interest.  A brown thrasher hung around, waiting for more suet.  Four blue jays kept an eye on me from the top of the oak.

The creek was placid though there was a breeze.  Clouds streamed across the sky from West to East, but the capricious breeze buffeted the trees from every point of the compass.   I saw dragonflies as well as bees battling the wind.  Falling dogwood petals fluttered like butterflies, but the only real butterfly I saw was flitting around the arbor vita in the front yard.  There were unseasonable flowers on the blue eyed grass.  One cardinal jealously guarded the yard and feeder, chasing off a rival. 

The downy woodpeckers continued to fly to the post to check on the empty suet cage.  This puzzled me because if they could see the post, they could see the empty feeder.  I suspect it was Skinner's conditioning at work - flying to the post produced a meal before, so maybe it would again.  A Carolina wren also inspected the empty cage.  I was hoping to discourage the starlings, but K put out the last block of suet at supper time.