Learning from the Birds

A few weeks ago, my parents bought us a new contraption to feed birds in our back yard. It looks like a pillar of glued together seeds that hangs from a metal hook among our other bird feeders. I believe they are actually known as a “Seed Logs” – and specifically used to attract woodpeckers. After just a couple of days of having the log, woodpeckers made their way to our backyard for what, so far, seems to be a tasty treat.  

I now enjoy sitting on my back porch to watch the antics of what I have learned is the Downy Woodpecker – a very common woodpecker in Indiana. I read that Downy Woodpeckers are smart and versatile, I have had a rather young-looking Downy visiting on a regular basis. When he first visited our backyard, he seemed a bit disheveled and maybe a bit flighty. He likes to land at the top of our bird feeder hook and slowly work his way down to the seed log – all the while looking around for anything that may fly in to challenge his seed eating. 

Then today, I was observing the little guy and I began to wonder if he had lost it. There he sat perched on and pecking away at the metal pole and making a heck-of-a racket. Most of the time this Downy sits perched on the log with a myriad of wild birds from finches to the Tufted Titmouse around him with no concern, yet today was different. This behavior lasted for some time before he finally had scared most of the other birds away leaving him to all the seeds. 

I thought he may have been a bit greedy, but after doing some research, I was surprised to find out that banging on that metal pole was his mating call and the marking of his territory. He was just trying to attract more woodpeckers like him. Yet, in doing this, he would consistently scare away the variety of bird friends around him.   

I had a mentor who once said, “If I am trying to learn a lesson, I go watch the birds in my backyard. They always teach me something.” And at First Friends we are blessed to have our own bird expert, Brad Jackson to glean some bird wisdom for our daily journey. 

The Downy Woodpecker had me thinking about the church. How often when trying to attract new people, do we overlook the variety of people all around us? How often are we just making a racket that turns people off?  Could it be that too often we are simply wanting to attract people like ourselves, all the while, God has been leading a myriad of people to our meeting doors or YouTube channel? It is something to ponder. 

I encourage you to go watch the birds this week. See what you glean from their presence in your life.