Soft down feathers trap still AIR
close to the surface of the body,
thermally insulating a bird .

While working in the garden today I heard the birds chirping in the tree next door. Because of the leaves on the tree and the grape-leaf vines on the fence I could not see them. But I know what the music means; “it is time to feed us.” Although it was a beautiful day outside and there was plenty of food around for the birds, I decided to once again fill the bird feeder. I had not been doing it in the summer. I did not expect them to go right after the food, like they sometimes do in the winter, but I did see a few of them checking the bird feeder out. After I went inside for a while I looked out the sunroom window only to see a chipmunk, not a bird, feeding on the seeds. I went outside to chase the chipmunk away but he just stayed there looking at me until I was right at the pole. He then skipped down the thin pole he had climbed and took off. I went back in the sunroom to wait for the birds but just saw a squirrel on my fence checking out the bird feeder. The squirrel took off as soon as I stepped outside. For a squirrel to climb the pole to the feeder is more difficult and it was not going to wait for me to chase it away. I looked out once again when there was still light and did not see any birds. The feeder still has seeds in it but less. Maybe the birds did some feeding or maybe the chipmunk and squirrel got the spoils. When the feed is plentiful the birds do not challenge the chipmunk and squirrel for the food. The chipmunk and squirrel will go after the easiest food in the fall, but in the winter stay in their warm nest and let the birds have the seeds.

I drafted my children’s story today about the “Hare, Hair and Air” and sent it to my science adviser friend to check it out. In the story, a rabbit and a goat think it is their long hair that keeps them warm in the winter, unlike other barn animals that do not come outside much. A wise owl lets them know is the ‘air’, like the pockets of air in their long hair or the pockets of air in the bird feathers, that really is what keeps the warm. The story is another way to promote a very simple idea of using AIR as insulation. The backyard animals, chipmunk, squirrel and birds know from experience how this works. The chipmunk and squirrel have hair but not enough to keep them warm in the cold of winter. The small birds have lots of feather, thus lots of air insulation, to keep them warm. So the birds are back, but need to wait ‘til it gets cold to have the bird feeder all to themselves.

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