What the birds are really saying
To the editor:
It is Easter Weekend.
I know that the farmers and gardeners are chomping at the teeth to get out and start the first effort at battling the weeds and mosquitoes. I suspect a conspiracy in that area. The weeds can’t move but they can encourage the harassment of the tormentors. This morning, the calm stillness of an early sunrise was broken apart by the animated discussions of a couple of the avian residents here at the guest house.
There are lots of birds in the neighborhood. The smallest is one which hides in the shrubs. No bigger than my thumb its coloring makes it look like a branch of the shrub. You will often know that they are around by the rustling in the leaves of the shrubs. They are usually pretty quiet and busy eating their food in the shade of the shrubs. We also have ring-necked doves and you can hear their whooping and hollering from many meters. The basic message seems to be, “I am the best guy for you.” It’s reply seems to sound like “What do you take me for, A fool?” The pairs are usually active about mid morning so you have time to wake up.
There is another bird though that really takes the cake. It looks a little like the kingfisher back home. But this one has a black-feathered crest. And it is very noisy. I suspect that the conversation between husband and wife is basically about the arrangement of the house. As with most remodeling projects, there is an incredible amount of vocal discussion about the effort. Mrs. Bird is not happy with the nest and Mr. Bird is trying his best to get on his wife’s good side. What this means is that starting in the early dawn these two are in full blown discussions about the program for the day. There is no peace.
It is a pity that Lowe’s has yet to figure out how to sell to the birds. It might quiet the mornings so the rest of us could get a couple more winks in.
Orpheus Allison
Guang Zhou, China
orpheusallison@mac.com
