The Crisp Coolness...

...of a damp morning greeted me as I swung open our side door to let out the hounds a few minutes ago. As usual Mimi, our mutt, ran along the neighbor's fence staring up into the trees. She was looking for our resident squirrels and birds. She even stopped to tinkle, all the while peering intently up into her favorite small tree, one that until a few days ago was weighed down by an abundance of medium sized blackberry like berries (anyone know what kind of a tree makes berries that looks like blackberries). It is the squirrels that make her flip out though, and thankfully there were no squirrels this morning up in the berry tree. Yes those squirrels and many local birds love those berries. I am pretty sure Mimi too has eaten her share as we were seeing evidence of seeds in her 'business'.

When it comes to squirrels, I could use the magic of the Dog Whisperer (or any other dog training magician) to calm her down, she is so intent on them that she hears no or few commands from me when they enthrall her. I don't know if they are singing some high pitched Siren's' Song to her, but about the only way to control her when a squirrel is nearby is to tether her to another tree much as Odysseus was tethered to the mast of his ship. Squirrels simply make her go bonkers and she jumps trying to climb our trees, has jumped over the neighbor's fence, has apparently tried to take flight a couple of times (I am happy she does not have even vestigial wings), and once or twice when out front ran right out into the street chasing a squirrel (no more off leash for her on the street). It is not just the squirrels though. She has already - to our knowledge caught 4 birds in mid-flight in our backyard. She is quick. She has also chewed up a prized tortoise of mine, yes the tortoise is okay but will probably never win Best In Show again, and she has obsessed over a backyard pen that now houses the tortoise and 2 bearded dragons. She is almost possessed by a desire to catch small critters, and no punishment seems to deter her from her mischief. She is so taken by them that she will even sometimes stop playing fetch with her favorite ball; and the way she gets into playing it has to be something pretty compelling to make her stop. Today though, she just watched, I guess because she too was listening to the wonderful birdsong that filled the air.

Her presence under the trees this morning did not deter the flock of mixed species of birds that also greeted us as we walked out of the house. Their symphony of chirps, whistles, and chittering filled the air like it has not for quite some time now. It was late in the day before yesterday that I filled up the bird feeders (2 of them) for the first time in at least few months. Even with our mighty oak tree gone, these tiny winged singers still find their perches among the smaller trees of our backyard and serenaded us and one another with their busy songs, that is once those seeds are back! With so many present at one time, it seemed Mimi did not have a clue as how to react, and she sat there as if mesmerized by their songs. Pepe, our mini Chihuahua, ignored it all and went about getting his morning business done. He has his priorities straight if only because he is a slave to the dog biscuit that awaits him once he gets back inside; and I suppose he figures that birds are basically for the birds although a squirrel on the ground is fair chase for him too.

Today there was a slight delay between the doggy business of the backyard and the biscuit; I had to refill the bird feeders. Funny how fast those seeds disappeared once our feathered friends figured out they were back. Mostly we get English Sparrows, but there is also a good variety of others including House Finches, Doves, Cardinals and others of whose names I have little or no idea. Every now and then, maybe twice per year that we notice, a hawk stops by for a quick lunch too - and brother he is not eating seeds. Of course there are also those rats with wings (Pigeons) and busy tailed rats (Gray Squirrels) that bring their appetites to the feast. It is not until the pigeons show up though that my wife gets upset with me that I have filled the bird feeders. I am hoping they have found other, more abundant and tastier, feeding grounds than my backyard, and that it will be a long time before they again show up here. For now though, as my brief summer morning's backyard interlude fades into the rest of the day, the bird feeders are filled and I can hear the twittering of those more desirable avian songsters as my fingers clack away on the keyboard. Life is good.

All the best,
Glenn B

I Shared Lunch...

...with a stranger yesterday. Sure that could be a risk not worth taking, especially in the heart of New York City where you can run into all sorts of weirdos, vagabonds, hoodlums and scalawags.

Yet this guest was rather an amusing one, and had only a light appetite. He came, he ate, he ran flew. Of course, he and another two or three of his finely feathered friends stopped back a time or two more for a bit of lunchtime chatter and to grab another morsel. I was making, or about to make a quick call when I remembered the camera in the cell phone deal (therefor the poor quality shot, but a nice one anyhow), and I eyeballed this guy just as he was eyeballing the crumb (Cinnamon Raisin Bagel crumb, mind you).

Despite their flightiness, and their tiny appetites, they were the best lunchtime company I have had in a while. I was more than happy to share my lunch with them, and what are a few crumbs in the grand scheme of things? Not a lot to me, but maybe the world to a sparrow.

All the best,
Glenn B

The Trill of a Warbler...

...or was it a Robin just reached my ears. Honestly, I have no idea what bird's song it was that just made its way to my ears though the gray early morning mist; but I do know that it must mean its time to get back to the sack and get some shuteye before I have to be up and at em. I already got 40 winks, but woke up at 2:45 and have been up since. Insomnia sucks, but waking up at this time every morning and finding myself sitting on a cold branch would suck more. That my friends is for the birds, and so is this hour of the morning.

All the best,
GB

My Wife Likes These...

...she thinks the Doves that visit our backyard feeders are nice, but she hates those pests called Pigeons. I guess the moniker of Rats With Wings Dirty Pigeons has sought of stuck in her mind from the time we lived in Glendale, Queens (part of NYC) where there are lots of the Rock Doves, aka: Rock Pigeons, aka Rats With Wings, aka: Pigeons. Despite my wife's repugnance for Pigeons, I like them, they taste great, but I must admit that for their relative size, they seem to make the most, shall I say, mess when nature calls. Sometimes the wife likes to hang out the wash instead of using the drier, and all it would take is one Pigeon poop on the clothes she just washed for me to have to take down the bird feeders. So now I have to think of a way to attract only the various types of Sparrows, the House Finches, the Cardinals, the Starlings, the Chickadees, the Woodpeckers of at least a few species, and the nicer more acceptable (to my wife) Doves like the one in the picture (I am no bird guy but I know it is some kind of a Dove), without attracting the Rats With Wings Pigeons.

I was thinking of using a BB gun or CB, caps as a deterrent, and only aim them at the Pigeons. The CB cap would probably be illegal since it is a bullet shot out of a firearm, but the BB gun may do the trick. Now if only I could find where I stashed mine some years back! Bye the way, I am not looking to kill them, just to pump it once and give them a ping in the butt, so to speak. That should scare them away if done each time they show up while I am on guard duty. Of course, I may just let them stay around until they either poop on the laundry or start living on my house, which would not be a good thing. Just imagine leaving for work and having a Pigeon take off from your roof and drop one on your head. Yech...

Oh well, there must be a humane solution to get rid of these nuisance animals, but if not I''ll find something that works that is at least legal.

All the best,
Glenn B