This is for the birds
I noticed yesterday that my fish have stopped feeding. That means that fall is in full sway, and they’re beginning to go into winter dormancy. They’re not such amazing fish – just a single koi and three oversized goldfish – but they’re mine, have been around for a few years, and I quite like them. No fuss, no muss. They just live in their little pond world. It’s not only their world, but it’s their entire universe. It’s all that they know, so their wants and needs are simple.Once they’ve stopped feeding though, I know it’s time for the birds to come back. I’ve seen a few towhees, chickadees and juncos, so I’ll have to get the bird feeders up to look out for their needs. Some killjoys say you shouldn’t feed wild birds, because it makes them dependent and lazy about foraging for themselves. Well, considering that the average ‘foraging for himself’ wild bird has a life expectancy of something like 11-months, I won’t lose sleep over my violation of nature in the raw. I compromise by not feeding them in the summer. Then there is a lot of stuff they can find on their own.
I like my birds. When I was young I couldn’t think of anything so dorky and unappealing as bird watching. Now, I watch birds. Last year we got a lazuli bunting around the place for a few days. It was very cool and beautiful. So, yes, I bird watch, and even note them down. No, I don’t go on expeditions, but I can understand why people do.
Birds have always gotten a lot of bad press. They’re considered stupid. Well, dumber than mammals, hence expressions like “birdbrain.” Not so, of course. Parrots, for example, are remarkably smart, as are crows and ravens. Hell, crows even use tools. Birds are also capable of emotion. Geese, swans and eagles (among others) mate for life, and if one member of the couple dies, the other will often pine away. Ducks, on the other hand, will screw anything, and indulge in even gay encounters, or will cross species attempt to get it on. Ducks are the barflies of the bird world.
Anyway, I have some favorite birds, domestic and otherwise. They include:
- Towhees
- Robins
- Crows
- Ducks
- Chickadees
- Stellers Jays
- Swallows
- Hawks
- Owls
- Pelicans
- English robins
- Cardinals
- Brazilian cardinals (Hawaii)
- Zebra doves (Hawaii)
And a lot of other ones. There, that’s my testament to the avian world this rainy fall day.
Labels: avian frolics, fish now get to rest
posted by Ian Lidster at
11:43 AM
14 Comments:
Funny isn't it how we come to birds only as we get older. Until we bought the cottage I never saw birds as anything interesting. Now they fascinate me. I spent hours sweating quietly in the sun in Texas to get to see them. When I was young I simply didn't have the patience...
And damn, you gotta love that they give you the interenet in classes now. As the teacher drones on and on I can troll the blogs...
I had to laugh at Jazz!
I think I have always loved the birds. We used to hear the Moreporks, at night in NZ. They are an owl, & hoot in the night. We also had a lot of English song birds which had been introduced, & the sound of thrushes in the evenings, sining will always remain in my memory.
I'm not a big bird fan on the whole but I do love herons and bald eagles. Don't ask me why.
When I see a heron and I have my camera I always take its photo. They are funny because they stand still but follow you with their heads. You take a photo from the left they are looking at you, go around take one from the right and they are also looking at you, but haven't moved their bodies an millimetre.
When I was a child I had a bird watching book and loved nothing more than observing all the many sparrows, cardinals, blue jays and doves all pecking around the bird feeder in our backyard. Nowadays, I just enjoy the hummingbirds that whiz by my windows. They're definitely lovely.
I love that you love our feathered friends. Swallows are my favourites. Next to owls.
I've read that feeding birds is fine, as long as you do it consistently, because a feeder will atract birds that come to rely on it.
V.
i often wondered how fish survived in ponds during the winter. didn't know if they were brought inside or not.
i love birds, love to hear them singing/chirping. i noticed how things have changed with them over the years. used to be, i wouldn't hear a bird until 5am-6am, now i hear them 2am-3am sometimes. i also used to think all birds flew south for the winter.
2 yrs ago, we had a woodpecker in the neighborhood. i must admit it was a little annoying. one day while several of us stood outside talking, he pecked a hole or something in the tree right by us. a lot of work for the woodpecker, but fascinating to watch.
So glad im not a swan or an eagle!!
glad you left out the damn 'filth on wings'... pigeons!
i've always enjoyed most birds, and yes, more so as i age
thx for this
Gosh Ian this is a post from you I will treasure as I too have a great love for birds. I had the honor a month or so ago of being 2 feet away from a little towhee that sang his heart out and could care less that the dog and I were watching him - it was one of my more memorable experiences in the woods.
I learned to appreciate birds when fairly young when a pair of Baltimore Orioles descended on our trees at home on the farm. Only saw them that one time -they stayed for about 2 weeks and then they were gone. I remember thinking how beautiful that bright orange was in the trees. From then on I started paying attention and eventually developed a sincere appreciation for birds.
Hmmm, well, crows and ravens are my favorite, I think. Though I realize that many people don't love them so much.
And I'm always impressed by the predator birds. Eagles, falcons etc.
Hmmm, really interesting post! In fact, it gives me a cunning idea for a post of my own.
Thanks Ian!
Ian, I've always been a bird lover. For years, we kept all sorts of tame birds, from parakeets, through parrots. At one time, we had more than 20 birds - what a racket! *LOL*
We didn't only keep tame feathered babies, though ... we also took in (and still do) injured birds of all varieties.
I got that from my mom, who rivaled St. Francis when it came to taking in and caring for little animals. Whatever she took in ended up being gentle and tame in no time.
Thanks for this post, my friend. You've hit one of my soft spots ...
So funny about the ducks! I had no idea. I think this means I should birdwatch more often.
And yes, fall. I have a fancy goldfish I should throw outside because he's monsterous, but I have yet to be able to keep a koi through the winter here. We must get colder than you do?
My testament to fall is that my snake is no longer eating, hence I have TWO pet mice instead of the one I've been keeping since December since I named him and now can no longer use him for snake food. This creates problems because the mice can't live together. It's a menagerie, I tell you! xoxoxoxo
I'm very fond of birds too.
When I was younger I used to go to the local ornithological club meetings and go on bird counts. Nowadays I just feed and admire them outside my kitchen window. :)
My favourites are crows--i think they're really quite intelligent, they look at you like they know what you're saying.
But I'm also fond of the towhee you pictured---and not just because they are so familiar hopping among my garden's shrubbery.
Towhees were our school bird, you see. To this day at Vanier, they still are. Of course, the logo nowadays resembles some sort of green eagle with ferocious talons but that was just a little bit of artistic liberty taken by our frined Kim when she first designed the original logo. :)
Me, too. A friend who knows my love of bird feeding gave me a huge box of sunflower seeds as a house-warming gift. I love the native birds here, and also enjoy getting to see new ones when I travel.
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