11 March 2008

Thoughts of Hitchcock

What's with the birds?

When we awoke this morning and enjoyed our usual cup of coffee while still in bed, the birds were truly an amazing sight. The thistle feeder just outside the bedroom window and the Japanese maple in the same vicinity were alive with the usual finches like I've not seen before. For a long time I sat on the footstool (which resides between the window and the bed so Whitby can get on the bed without assistance) to watch. The colum of thistle in the feeder dropped dramatically in a 20 minute period.

And, the intense activity wasn't limited to the area surrounding the feeder. The open woods between the house and the pond were full of movement as well -- woodpeckers, cardinals, blue birds, blue jays, mourning doves, mockingbirds. Letting my vision blur as I looked into the woods somehow intensified the level of activity. I didn't want to leave that spot!

As I prepared to rouse myself, I was given one final surprise. A red-winged blackbird, the first one I've seen this year, lit on the curve of the thistle feeder's crook for a full minute and then went on his way.

A great way to start the day -- not to mention a clear indicator that spring is more than a promise.

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