Saturday, December 11, 2004

Alfred Hitchcock

I finally got over my dereliction of duties and cleaned the cat litter, picked up after the dog, took the trash out, fed the outside cat and fed the birds (which will further feed the outside cat).

I enjoy the birds. Years ago when I was going through hard times and skipping meals to save money I still fed the birds. I used to have a baby hawk come everyday and land on one of the oak trees just to watch the airport frenzy of the bluebirds, chickadees, bluejays, squirrels, titmice, woodpeckers and more. Once a bluejay landed about 3 feed to the right of the hawk as if to say "you aren't as bad as you think you are." The hawk slowly turned its head for a brief glance and elegantly turned back to watching the frenzy. The message was "you aren't really going to make me do this are you?" A few seconds later a subtle movement from the hawk in the bluejays direction and it flew off allowing the hawk to return to its birdwatching. Later that day I saw the hawk on the same branch holding the branch in one talon and a bluejay in the other. Again, just watching the birds.

Today as I filled the feeders a huge hawk circled over head in a zig zagging slow series of S's. Either it was in the tree canopy or the tops of the trees were scrapping its belly. Beautiful bird! I threw out some peanuts thinking the squirrels will like these. One squawk from a bluejay and 20 others joined it to systematically ravish the horde of nuts.

In minutes a titmouse joined the feeding, a chickadee, a red bellied woodpecker, some ravens and the bluebirds of course. I am certain the chipmunk will be out today also.