Phase 2 success

[Julia Clark]

I’m thrilled to say that phase 2 has launched successfully!

After spending 8 days in phase 1, I made the jump to phase 2 a few hours into Sat Day, after they had already started eating from the open box for the day.

It took an hour and some change for the magpies to be brave enough to eat on the box without getting scared of the door opening. Like phase 1, the crows were wary at first of the box opening, but after watching the door open and close and the magpies use it without issue, one of my brave adolescents (I have 2 regulars, Heckle and Jeckle) was seen on the box to quickly pick a peanut and beat a hasty retreat. I was ecstatic that they were brave enough to handle the opening basket within hours! They grew bolder by then end of the day, and both Heckle and Jeckle came numerous times to eat. I didn’t capture an adult crow on the feeder until the next day, as they are more wary than the youngins.

Though they have been successful, both species of corvids are a little nervous of being in the area for an extended time. I’m thinking I’ll need to put some more interesting food in the basket and a few peanuts on the ground in order to entice them to stay a bit longer.

I will add some videos later of them actively on the box soon.