Just an Observation

Walking the same path each day doesn’t always result in some new startling revelation, but there are many small vignettes that, although they may not be worthy of an entire dissertation, could fall under the category of “Just an Observation”. And that’s what I am here to share today.

Actually, the first one wasn’t on the trail, but right outside my kitchen window. I have aligned all the bird feeders to be in sight of the window at the sink where I spend much of my kitchen time. It’s a small forest of suet feeders, birdseed tubes, thistle feeders and an old platform feeding station. Like the Food Court at the mall, I suppose, only for birds. Yesterday, I even added some peanut butter covered pinecones to woo back the Carolina Wrens who seem to have left me for my neighbor.

At any rate, you may remember that I mentioned a few days ago, while I was on my walk, a Titmouse unfortunately found itself on the menu of a passing hawk and just yesterday I saw the hawk return. Correctly identifying a hawk isn’t always easy, even when you see it. It was either an immature Sharp Shinned Hawk or a Coopers Hawk sitting in my oak tree, and by the time I saw it, all the birds had vanished. And soon, so did he.

Well, this morning, I saw something pass through quickly and watched the vanishing act of the birds on the ground again. I assume the hawk was back. But there was a male Hairy Woodpecker on the suet feeder who clearly thought it was too risky to fly off, so it just froze.
Not a muscle stirred. Amazing. For at least 6-7 minutes this bird might as well have been a carved bird on the feeder. Finally a few Titmice returned to the platform feeder more or less announcing “All Clear” and the woodpecker flew off.

And again I wonder, what is that like, to be eating cereal, say and have to freeze because there is a chance you are about to be gobbled up. Be thankful folks, “Free as a bird” clearly comes with a price. But their gift is one of quick response with no neurosis that follows. No wringing of the feet wondering “What will I do if that happens again?” Instead, instinct, reaction, and on with the business of the day. Perhaps that part we could envy.

The other short observation is how amazed I am that as early as the first week of January I have been hearing the Chickadees “fee- be-be” call. Each day that has been sunny, with a touch of warmth has seemed to set the male chickadees to thinking about where it is they may want to call home come the spring.
Chickadees become strongly territorial as nesting time gets close in April or so, then this sort of “fee-be” song can become an invitation to “Meet me in the street” for a showdown. But you may hear it from now until then with less attitude behind it as they begin to perhaps casually check out areas that might be suitable. Or perhaps they are just fond of the tune. Or perhaps warmth of feathers makes them yearn for spring. I love to hear it though, and for years I have noted that here in the Cape, January can take on the magic of spring when I do hear it.

Just some observations. Surely you have your own you have noted, and with each one, we learn a little more don’t we? Or we learn to wonder at a little more. I know I have written about this before, perhaps ended with those exact lines but the joy of sharing the little things is what this is all about. So excuse any redundancy on my part. Snow is in the forecast for tonight, how I hope it does come to pass, than back to the joy of tracking we will go. Till the next time then, see what you can see.