Friday, April 27, 2007

Week 17





This entry reminded me of how the wild birds in the back yard know me. They know when the seed lady "should" be bringing out breakfast. Mocking Bird wants his raisins, if I have failure to bring them out in a timely fashion he will knock on the window!
I often wonder who is in control?

I feel so responsible for the birds that when I was on vacation this past December I hired a young woman to come to my house every day to feed the birds..

With Spring in full swing I now have front yard birds and back yard birds. They need seperate feeding stations and water for drinking and bathing.
The feeders need to be cleaned and refilled; the water kept fresh.

Now the Baltimore Orioles have returned.
I am mesmerized by their bright orange and black feathers.
They have nectar and fresh orange slices and grape jelly.

I saw a Hummingbird this morning!
Those feeders need fresh nectar every other day.

So far no bird has told me by their peeps if it will rain soon.
They do let me know if they want more seed or peanuts or grape jelly.

Do you feed the birds?


6 comments:

Chrissie said...

Hi Q. You are a bit further on than me. I am trying to read an essay a day but I admit sometimes I have to put it down :-) as my eyes ache and I find I'm not really taking everything in :-) I have just read the Cherry Blossom essay which I enjoyed very much. It is true that the blossom is so fleeting. Hope you are still enjoying your read!

Housefrau said...

I have been trying to feed the birds, but so far they have not found my bird feeder. Yesterday, though, I had a great bird sighting: bald eagles! They flew over my house! I had never imagined I would see bald eagles in the middle of the city.

One thing this book is doing is making me more aware of how much there is to see in the nature all around me. Dalby notices all the little things in her environment--the variety of plants and birds in her own neighborhood. Living in the city, I had just assumed I had nothing very interesting to discover, but this books is helping me see nature through a new lens.

Q said...

Hi Chris,
I am enjoying this book very much. I too am taking it slow and easy. I will read a few essays and go back and re-read! The cherry blossom essay reminded me to check a web sight I enjoy, Dr.Emoto's. He had photos of the cherry trees in bloom in Japan. The "flower viewing month" Dalby writes. One of the photos is of colorful, small boats floating down a river and the banks are covered in blooming cherry tress. Made me want to go to Japan for the cherry blossoms!
Sherry

Q said...

Hi Hausefrau,
Eagles???!!!!
Wow!!!
How cool and in the city.
"Eagles take a tour"

I also like the way Dalby sees the world about her and how she weaves her past into her now. She also has opened my world up.

It is midnight as I am writing. I just do not want the day to end. I do not want to miss anything. The birds are singing at midnight.
"Grosbeaks sing at midnight"
Nature is incredible.

The birds will find your feeder one of these of days. They must have lots of other food about.

Mary said...

We've fed the birds for quite some time, trying to tailor the different feeders for different birds. The finch feeder is closer to the house and I so enjoy seeing the little house finches and goldfinches. We also have a hummingbird feeder right by our back glass door, fully visible from inside.

I remember being so surprised at how pugnacious those little, tiny birds (we have rufous hummingbirds here) are. They seem to be quite territorial around the feeder and have been known to buzz around guests on the deck. They are really a pleasure to watch.

I love what Housefrau said about Dalby and her book making us more aware of the miracles that nature displays for us every day. I couldn't agree more. This is definitely a book I can see reading over and over again.

Q said...

Hi Mary,
The Hummers are a joy to watch!
I find I am already rereading!
I am just starting essay 33 and I go back and read the essay for the current date. I often will reread an essay just because I liked it so much.
This book is so different from any other book I have ever read. Normally I am reading for the story or for information. Here I am reading so my thoughts can take flight.
Sherry