Birds were an almost immediate part of my day, as the second sound I heard upon waking at 5:30 this morning, after the pathetic warblings of my hungry cat, was that of songbirds. Once I'd fed and watered the cat, turned off the garage light that had blinded me as I stepped out to retrieve cat food ("why the &*%# was this even on?") and crawled back into bed, the many, many birds in my yard sang me back to sleep. Thanks, guys.
Occasionally I see a blue jay, or a cardinal. In the summer, we might see a hummingbird flitting around the yard, or a woodpecker going to town on one of our trees. But mostly, we've got a hell of a lot of robins; last summer, one robin family built a nest in the red maple right next to our deck. That did not go well. Every time we tried to have a meal or drinks outside, we were treated to a chorus of outraged robin shrieks. After the eggs had hatched, it seemed like all the robins in a one-mile radius would gather to stare us down and/or swoop menacingly over our heads. So far we have seen no nest in the old spot, which is definitely a relief.
If you'd like to do something to help protect songbirds, even the loud ones that wake you up in the morning, consider signing this petition, courtesy of Defenders of Wildlife, a charity I often give to and endorse. The object of this petition is to encourage the FCC to adopt a bill that would change antenna construction legislation, making it more animal-friendly. Migratory birds often collide with current structures such as cell phone towers. Honestly, this isn't high up on my list of causes, but in honor of Bird Day, why the hell not?UPDATE: that action is no longer active. Lo siento.
What kind of birds do you have flitting about, dear readers? Do you enjoy birdwatching?
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