The Yardbirds

With all of my birding adventures, I have not paid much attention on what has been going on in my own back yard. Oh sure, I keep up with the feeding stations, making sure they are filled and clean, but once I have done my daily chore, I am off and running looking for the daily migrants. I wave goodbye as I go and leave them on their own to eat in peace. I still love these birds, but forget to appreciate them from time to time because they are a daily part of my life. I guess it's kind of like your family, you see them everyday as they are the daily fabric of your life, but you sometimes neglect to appreciate it until something happens to snap you back to reality.

Here is my lovely male cardinal. This little guy here is my alarm clock. I wake up and can hear him singing his heart out while the sound of brewing coffee competes for my first morning sound. My senses are awakened by the sound of his beautiful voice and the smell of coffee filling the air. My mood has gone from groggy to invigorated in just 30 seconds.

The beloved male Mockingbird who has taken over my yard. I watch him as he stands on his perch making sure no other birds dare to step foot on his territory. He is there every morning waiting for me to put out raisins and fill up the bird bath. I whislte a little tune for him while I am doing this and he stares at me in complete silence. We make eye contact for a brief moment and I smile at his wonderous face that is full of curiousity and micheif.

The comedian in my yard the Tufted Titmouse. He is a little puff of adrenelyn that only sits still for a moment to grab a peanut or a seed before he dissapears to eat it in peace. Sometimes all is not well in the bird world and he is the first to notify me something is amiss by his high pitched call that makes my indoor cats fight for the window to catch a glimpse of offender who woke them from their nap.

The House Finches who dissapeared for the winter but are back in full force now taking advantage of the squirrel who has raised the top to the feeder. Here they perch while searching for their favorite seeds to sample and share.

Sometimes the male will perch on a branch and sing his beloved a tune. The air is filled with joyous song that fills my yard with promises of spring and nestlings.

And finally one of my numerous Juncos. I love these birds but wince a little when I see them in my yard every morning. I watch them eat and want to ask them when they are heading up North. I want to let them know that it can't be oficially sping until they are gone but decide not to as I watch them eating their breakfast with vigor. They must have a full stomach for the journey I think to myself and decide to keep the feeders up until the end of May.

Yes these are the birds that share my yard with me. They are there to greet me each morning and bid me a goodnight just before dusk. These are the birds that first introduced me to the joys of birding last summer and it is something I could never payback even with birdseed and fresh water. I tell myself that I have to stop feeding soon as the squirrels are becoming a pain. I have 6 of them in my yard every morning and they are eating me out of house and home. The House Sparrows are back too, and while they are behaving like boy scouts right now, I know its only a matter of time before they take over my yard and scare the others away. Hmmmm. Maybe I will keep the thistle filled up this summer for the finches I think to myself. A handful of raisins for the mocker won't hurt I add. Maybe some safflower for the Candinals I think......After all, they are kind of like my family even if they are wild birds. I watch the cardinals fly away knowing they will wake me in the morning and I smile.