I have a few favorite bird feeders. When I go to the forest or park, I always take food for the birds with me. I try to feed them especially when it gets cold outside and it's hard for birds to find food for themselves.
Today I went to the park in the morning. The weather was good, no wind. Even the sun was breaking through the clouds. I brought seeds and pieces of unsalted bacon to the birds. Many tits live in this place. But other birds also fly to the feeders.
Having poured the seeds into the feeders and hanging bacon on the branches of a tree, I stepped aside and took out a camera. I always try to take some pictures of the birds that come here. As usual, the ubiquitous tits were the first to arrive. They are already accustomed to the fact that if someone comes to the feeders, then they brought them food.
I see that a pika has flown to the feeder. But she began to crawl along the tree trunk, looking for insects that had climbed under the punishment and cracks. Apparently she joined a flock of tits. After all, it is always easier to find food together, especially in winter.
The pike was very attentively examining the puncture of the tree, looking for insects in the cracks that had hidden there. She did it very quickly. Dexterously moving along the trunk with the help of its clawed paws. She was not very fearful. Apparently she thought that I did not pose a great danger to her. Moreover, I stood motionless.
The photographs clearly show how she examines the tree trunk in search of food. Its beak is rather long and thin. This allows her to crawl into even the smallest holes and pull insects out of there.
She even crawls under the branches that grow on the trunk of the tree. Apparently he knows well where insects are hiding. Many of them are tree pests. Therefore, the pika does a good deed helping the trees to get rid of bark beetles.
Here you can clearly see how cleverly the pika gets insects from the most secluded places from the tree bark.