Warning: If you don’t like cute furry little garden birds, this post will not be of interest to you. If you are interested in business, then continue reading:
Those who are familiar with my posts will know that I write a bit about birds and business. The reason for this is simple – I have a garden full of birds, and I provide food and water so they entertain me while having my morning espresso. It’s a perfect relationship really, and I can observe them closely, as they are literally 2 metres from my sofa in the conservatory.
Whilst watching them the other morning, I began thinking about business and the best ways of obtaining business. I was watching closely the relationship between the various breeds, how they react to each other, and interact together.
The Tits are the smallest of feeders on the table. They are so small and fast that you would hardly notice they had been and gone. I have watched a Coal Tit single-handedly remove 30-40 seeds from the table and “hide” each one in a nearby bush or tree. He was not so clever when a rat noticed and promptly cleaned out his stash.
The Sparrows are widespread and their large numbers ensure that they are not endangered. They freely flit around and are very sociable; living is disorganised housing estates, breeding up to three times a year. The amazing fact about these birds, is that though they squabble like mad amongst themselves, they will form a major barrier against any external threats, using numbers and noise to discourage intruders.
The Finch on the other hand, is not as numerous as the sparrow, and noticeably more aggressive. They will forsake food if there is another bird on the table, spending its energy ensuring there is no competition. Meanwhile the seeds are quickly depleting, and the Finch is in danger of going hungry. They have recently been wiped out with a major recession, and have retracted back into the bushes to regroup and breed. They sometimes migrate, when things get a little tough in the cooler climes.
Sound familiar yet?
The Robin is an aggressive territorial marker. Therefore they are few in the garden of business.
- Early Bird catches the worm
My garden is big enough to sustain 2 robins, but oh-boy! when their paths cross, there is war. One steps on the turf of another, and we have all out war. However, alone it is a timid, lonesome bird, favouring the birdtable when it’s empty of the squabblers. It also likes to descend to the ground and collect the seeds that have fallen from the table.
However, another bird that favours this area is the Blackbird, a beautiful shiny-coated suitor. He spends his days singing to attract the girls, and chasing away any other blackbirds nearby. He ignores all other species, but when another blackbird arrives on the scene, he will use all his energy to chase him around in circles, literally!
And then there is the Wren. This bird produced 4 chicks last year in one sitting. This bird has the stamina and speed of a Cheetah; it’s the only bird that will activate the sensor light on my house, as he scans the gutters and eaves for insects.
I have heard that other gardens have problems with magpies and crows, but if I wave at a crow or magpie, they wont come back, the Blackbird, will fly away for a while and the smaller birds fly to the nearest tree, and are back to the feeding table within seconds.
So do birds do business?
Birds are so like humans, it’s uncanny. They eat, sleep, breed, even work for a living. They have ventured into comedy and entertainment for a few seeds.
What kind of bird are you? How are you doing business?
- Are you a Crow or Magpie – big in size but the slightest movement will scare you off forever more?
- Are you a Blackbird – spending all your time obsessed with wooing the ladies and staving off a single competitor?
- Are you a Sparrow – needing the community to survive yet held back by your team?
- Are you a Coal Tit – hiding all your ideas away to have them snatched by the rat (and he’s not even of the Aves class)?
- Are you a Finch – aggressive and full of hot air yet ready to bail out at the slightest drop in temperature?
- Are you the graceful Robin – working away on your own terms, taking opportunities when presented, focused and ready to back away when the time is right?
- Or are you a Wren – objective, opportune, progressive and wise? Working under stealth, getting the job done with fastidious clarity?
Be careful where you perch and how you preen your feathers. A bird cannot choose its species, but in the world of business, you get to choose who to do business with, and how you conduct your business. There will be external factors, suitors and rats along the way, but focus and goal setting helps us make the right decisions.
I haven’t mentioned the Swallows and Starlings as they are only holidaying here. As for the songbird Thrush, I have identified one, but am not 100% sure on this. I wouldn’t like to be accused of mistaken identity, so I will reserve judgement.
Well, have you decided which garden bird you are and how you wish to conduct your business?
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This post is part of the SugarTone: Sweet Business Blogging Contest.
