Backyard rhythm
There is a rhythm to our backyard that I did n’t notice until the tranquility of COVID . During those first few months , my youngest daughter and I were ordinarily the first I awake . She ’s always been an early hiss , but some fun new anxieties were waking me around 5 every good morning . So we ’d number down the stairs together and I ’d make coffee and let the dogs out while my girl exhaust breakfast . Then we ’d meet in the Dominicus elbow room to watch the hiss . Now I do it every day .
Who knew there was such a precise docket of activity happening in the curtilage every morning ? It always set about with the small raspberry : chickadees , sparrows , cardinals and sour - eyed juncos . They run along up along the fence and wait , mostly patiently , for their turn on one of the feeder or in the bird bath . They knock down as many seeds as they take from the feeders while more small birds waitress underneath to snatch up those seeds . They have a organisation . Occasionally a robin or the pair of woodpecker that lives nearby will visit during the small birds ’ time , but they usually dine by and by when it ’s less crowded .
The bird procession
They ’re all eventually driven away by the two blue jay who are the bosses ( and bullies , if I ’m being honest ) of the yard . They strut around and take their clip eating breakfast , hump no Bronx cheer will interrupt them for fear of getting pecked to death .
Then the Crow amount . They are fully grown and kind of rude , but they stick to the ground and eat what the pocket-size birdie dumped earlier . Since they act as the clean - up gang , I do n’t get so riled that we ’re wastingbirdseed . in the end , the smallbirds come back to attend with the rabbits , squirrels and chipmunk who ca n’t wait a minute more to wipe out their breakfast .
By now , both dogs and cats have their noses pressed against the picture windowpane , mesmerized by the intricate dancing all these animals are doing just a few feet from us . And they ’re make noises to have us make love they would like to be let outdoors to dog them all away .
All of this happens before 7:45 ante meridiem I could limit my ticker by it . Sitting still and admiring the shuttlecock and backyard critters was one good habit we nibble up in the last few class . We ’ve become the people who are excited by a visiting bird we have n’t mark before . We marvel when the Turdus migratorius plop into the bird bath , wets her plume , and whiff and fluffs herself back out again while we sip our coffee . Someday , our Lord’s Day room might be change state into Birdwatching Central with mapping of flight patterns , bird family Tree ( pun intended ) and binoculars for everyone . It would n’t storm me a turn . This is who we are now .
In improver to birdwatching , Jamie like to start her morning with coffee , a little more coffee , yoga on the terrace if the weather is warm , one more cupful of coffee bean , and a few fishy big cat videos .
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