Category: Birds At Bedlam

In the Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan – my favorite book at the moment- Tan writes about learning that the grit in the Crow’s gizzard aids in digestion. She said she used to think birds were eating grit because they were starving in a cruel world.

“It’s good for you,” she can imagine an adult Crow saying to her skeptical babies. “I saw three blue-eyed baby crowds testing the digestive aid,” she wrote. “They picked up a bit in their bills and must have done a quick sip with the tongue over the hard substance, before deciding it was too nasty to eat.”

The babies spit it out. Crows are smart, she added, but like human children who eat vegetables before dessert, these baby crows must learn to eat grit. Deserts, the adults promise, will be a raid on patio feeders.

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Siegfried is very interested in me, and I am in him. He inspired me to read Amy Tan’s wonderful new book, which is written with great humor and fascinating insights. The book has turned my bird watching into something quite wonderful. There is a lot for me to learn, and it is presented in plain, simple language; even a dyslexic can’t wait to read a new passage.

We all have backyard birds in our lives; most of us don’t know much about them. Pan would call Siegried a “mystery bird”; they come and go, disappear and return. Some become fascinated by humans. I think Siegried is trying to learn about me. One day, perhaps, we’ll trade notes. I can only imagine what he thinks of me.

The bird feeders are back out as the weather gets colder. I very much enjoyed taking some photos of them in late January, February, and March. We got a feeder with a plate to keep the rats, mice, and barn cats away. I’ll start looking for them in the morning and try to catch a photo or two. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

I’m learning a lot about birds and movement, which is another nice thing coming into my life. I can get the finches to respond by lifting my head or turning. At certain angles, they don’t see me at all. If I sit back a few feet to the right of my living room chair, they will pose for me, even look at me. I haven’t figured all this ought, and I don’t mind their zipping around. We are getting comfortable with each other. More importantly, they are getting comfortable with my Leica. I love watching them move together, then separately quickly. They are tougher than they first look.

I’m starting a new thing on the blog called “Bird Art.” I love taking their photos even though my Dyslexia and indifference to titles make it hard for me to know precisely what kinds of birds they are. Rather than get snarky or frustrated notes from serious bird lovers, I propose this: if you think I’ve gotten a name wrong, please correct me on regular blog posts or my e-mail, [email protected].

You can work it out on the blog with other bird lovers if there is a disagreement.

I won’t join in as I only recognize a few birds, like the woodpecker below. Yes, I have a learning disability.

I welcome corrections unless they are offered by snotty, arrogant, or nasty people (I think this covers about half of Facebook). The Correction Police on social media remind me of trolls, and I tend not to like them. They aren’t trying to be helpful but superior.

Ordinary bird, flower, and plant people are unfailingly friendly and helpful, and I welcome their corrections and identifications. I’m no good at that.

Please don’t call me stupid or lazy, and we’ll get along fine. You don’t need to like me; please be kind, and I will respond. I’m happy to acknowledge errors or suggestions and fix them; since I don’t know what kind of birds these are (and don’t care much), please feel free to jump in if I fail. Thank you.

The art birds will be photographed just inside our living room window. If they show up, I’ll take photos every day. So far, so good. I’ll get to know them, maybe even their names.

I loved the first photo, shooting through the frost. It captures the feeling.