Birdwatching

The cats' apartment is in the window so they can watch the birds, people walking dogs, and this season - the farmers going to work in the fields near our house.

They are purely indoor cats, so they never, ever go outside. Birdwatching is one opportunity for them to feel like wild cats :)  Kuro is more 'wild' than Dusty and he will spend hours watching. Dusty watches for a short time and then goes to play somewhere else.

Sometimes I put bird seed on a tray in the garden and recently wood pigeons (kiji-bato) come every day. They are actually quite greedy and will eat most of the seed, starting with their favorite type.

One thing that is important is to get a balance when feeding wild birds. It's important that they don't become dependent on the food - they should still find most food for themselves.

If you are wondering why the birds come despite the fact that two cats are watching, please look at the next photo. I took it from outside, looking in, and as you can see, the glass reflects the trees. The pole you can see is the reflection of the rail where I hang towels or other heavy items. 

But I'm sure the birds feel "eyes" watching them :)

Something sad this season is the the pheasant hasn't returned to my area. He has come every spring for the past 5 years but not yet this year. I hope he is okay.