Ed,
You are the first to mention a strange thing I have observed also at the feeders....the HSB actually "herd" the pellets and move them sometimes several feet, 20 or 30 feet is not uncommon at all, away from the feeding zone. It is much like a saltwater school of fish herding baitfish so that the predator can pick them off. I really enjoy watching it and trying to guess which way they will carry the pellets. Fascinating! Sometimes they will end up with a bunch of pellets herded way out in the middle of the pond, working on them just like their saltwater cousins would on a school of shad.
