Now we see through a glass darkly

Now we see through a glass darkly
Helen Keller and her mother exemplified in the Miracle Worker

Saturday, May 26, 2012

The baby sparrows show so much more personality

They come to my back door for the seeds that I throw out there. They like to be treated like chickens, it seems. They prefer a fresh handful of seeds everyday, to a birdfeeder full for a week. The purple headed one, came out and braved tangling with Emma, for a taste of what they call fresh millet. {It's not really fresh from the store, it stays in a bag by the back door, so that I can throw them out the door to my adoring public. To them it is fresher than the ones sitting on the cement for the night} I was so tickled that she didn't even seem to notice our Border Collie lurking about. But if I get too close she would hop away and fly to a distant tree. She clearly thanked me and looked me right in the eye to do so. Sparrowlings are so personable. She was as tiny as a big man's thumb and had 4 or 5 friends that weren't as personable, but just as hungry for the delicacies that I throw to them. She seemed to have as many questions about the fare as there were seeds on the ground. But, as our grandpa always said, " You can't hollar and swallow at the same time." So, thank you was all she said. I didn't name her yet, because as soon as I get a name for them, they grow up and I can't tell them apart. She is distinct, though. The purple plumes on her head make her easy to pick out. I do wonder if she'll keep those. The bluejays were pollywollydoodling with eachother as usual. They do have such a one track mind. You can't even get a morning greeting from them, for the chasing that they do with eachother. Bluejay couples are so cute at that stage. The games of chase were in the background as the sparrows showed me each their hiding spots in the yard. They are all wondering which leaf of the new rhododendron they are going to claim for their own. When it rains the rhododendron is a great place to hide. They are nearly invisible at this age among the leaves. So very tiny and yet so very social. I can't tell how new they are out of the nest, but these are the tiniest sparrows, I have had come to my door.

jayne c walker's

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_________________________________________________________________________________________________<>Robins Don't LeanBluejays Don't Beg

For the Birds?

For the Birds?
click on the picture to for an Evvie story.

Sparrow's Spring nest

Mr. and Mrs. Sparrow were caught, by me yesterday, shopping together for a new home. They flitted and flirted, just outside my window. Talking and discussing and lovingly disagreeing, if not arguing the benefits and the pitfalls of living at our house.
Mrs. Sparrow was very impressed with the 2 "ready made" nests hung outside our window. Mr. Sparrow hadn't even thought of them as "ready-made" nests. He used them for the provision of building materials for the private home that he had in mind in a surprise and hidden place. He doesn't like the openness, at all, of our porch. It's much too populated. When Mr. Sparrow gets it into his mind to give his sweet chicky a peck, he wants the freedom to do it without a bunch of younguns peeking over the nest to see what comes next.
Mrs. Sparrow was impressed that the porch was fully protected from hailstones. We all know what happened to a great many of last years' nests in that surprise hailstorm we had. Male birds seem to have a very short memory for storms. They have only one thing in mind in the nest building season... 03/09