Birds in Particular: A Walk on the Wild Side

A bird walk one evening produced approximately 35 tree sparrows, 5 squirrels, 2 crows and 1 wooden peregrine falcon in a porch window.

Disappointed, I started looking around at what was in my neighbors’ yards. My curiosity kicked in and I began to notice.

I found many interesting things: a marked up chalkboard; a bluelite Star of David hosting a jolly Santa; a pheasant weathervane; a miniature windmill; a sawhorse advertising itself encouraging sales and production; one rock hard, stationery, purple yoga ball; an empty hemp hammock; an American flag flying high up, tripped up on a branch; one yarn-bombed street lamp and an ancient root cellar; a black dog, hyper-focused, perched at the dining room window; one folded ceramic blue swan, and a St Francis of Assisi statue still hanging out for the holidays, next to a few cherubs that were near a map of Minnesota and the United States.

Then there were plenty of pairs not necessarily together: like Mary and Joseph, baby Jesus, gingerbread boys and girls, Winnie the Pooh, empty vodka bottles, an incredible antique glider swing. Two yellow doors. Two red doors. Two Little Libraries. Two capital letter ‘A’s’. Two crushed Budweiser cans. Two red poinsettias, and a pair of Norwegian dolls sitting on the stoop.

There were three sets of red candy cane lights. Four metal bells hanging from a grasshopper wind chime, plus, four pairs of crisscrossed candy canes on a white fence. Five plastic bagged newspapers on the stoop. Six Frosty blow-up families. Seven yellow bird cages. Eight velvety Santas in the window and eight milkweed pods bursting. Nine strings of fresh cranberries. Ten red Christmas bulbs on a Charlie Brown Christmas tree. Eleven bright, blinking, white snowflakes hanging above the steps. Twelve cloved oranges on red ribbons. And a broken hubcap with lug nuts still attached.

Keep feeding your backyard birds, they are okay right now but the next three months are crucial for their survival. You can enjoy the beautiful bird flight to your bird feeders.Email halleofalvey@gmail.com if you are interested in a birding trip.