For the birds...

They heard me, the cardinals and the jay.

I've been dismissing/discounting my ability to identify birds.

My father and brothers could name a feathered one from a distance - and on the fly. Mother was pretty good too. But she often relied on daddy (or at least deferred to him). Although partial to hummers, curlews, brown pelicans and spoonbills, she really did love every bird - even those I identify as "little brown birds"

"I know cardinals and blue jays, blue herons and the flamingo," I claim laughingly. I know more, of course, but I often rely on my brother, the last of the family experts. It's a blessing to wander the woods or shore or riverside with him. "Hear that?" He might ask. "It's a raven."*

Even a blurred photograph emailed to him results in a more than decent guess.**

And I suppose the cardinals and blue jays have been listening to me.

I believe it is possible to "call" things to yourself. Expectations = results. Name it and it will arrive.*** These comments delivered to family and friends**** plus a little yard watering brought out the cardinals and the jays. They startled when I walked out to move the hose, but returned when I waited camouflaged by one of the trees.

I'm glad to see we have cardinals nesting nearby. We try to make the front yard a welcome place***** While we no longer feed the birds (too many squirrels here), we have cover and water and plants going to seed.

I'll be out again today to see if the two female cardinals of yesterday are joined by their mates...and if they can keep the pesky old jay in his place.******

Signs the retriever had a good hunt.

Still only the two female cardinals and jay. Here is one. She was not cooperating. And I was dodging the sprinkler - none too successfully. They all kept to the bushes and kept moving.

They are harder to see - the "red" is so muted. She was moving from branch to branch. Sorry - I know it is a horrible photo.

The insects were happy too. There were wasps as well. I leave them alone.

NOTES: 

* Ravens/crows are the bane of my morning walks. I can never tell the ravens from the crows. Most of the time I hear, but do not see them. And I have listened to the taped "calls" of each - over and over. <sigh>

** He has correctly identified painted buntings, green herons, and mallards from my shaky cell phone photography (he would recognize the cardinal above).

I especially treasure video of birds at Indian Point from a few weeks ago as much because of his voice recorded - talking about the birds - as for the stunning display of winged-ones.

***I do not believe this works with the lottery.

****A a friend from scouting days scoffed at my claim and so I named a few others I know by sight and/or song. I had to admit I know a few more - eagles, hawks, turkey vultures,  white-winged doves, mockingbirds, and a couple of varieties of owls (by voice!).

And I know the wild geese - http://www.onbeing.org/blog/mary-oliver-reads-wild-geese/5966

And this explains the cardinal family -  http://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/nonpwdpubs/introducing_birds/cardinals/

*****We had to treat the back yard this year for the wild retriever who lives there. The insects were terrorizing her. She also is a squirrel catcher and jay destroyer.

******One fond memory, when we were new to this house, is of a noisy jay in the yard being countered by my youngest. The jay was chasing other birds from the old feeder and our child responded, "Shut up, shut up, shut up."



The Dance of the Cardinals:

Another trip to move the hose disclosed a number of cardinals in the yard. After watching the dance for about 10 minutes I figured it out. There is one male, one female, and a goodly number of juveniles in the yard. I also saw the jay again (and some LBB - little brown birds), but it was the cardinal family that impressed - parents attempting to distract me from the young ones.

The male cardinal was near the porch.

This juvenile was in the big red oak. It was too fearless to be an adult and was still a little "fuzzy" feathered. It made sense then. I had probably seen a mature female and one of the young 'uns and thought I saw two adult females.  We must have a nesting pair in the shrubbery along the sidewalk. I've found the nests before - a madly severe pruning experience exposed nests.

 

This is why I may not be able to move from this place. I love my yard.