Every night, between 6 and 7, Mr.Pea and I hear a ruckus in the tree branches and creep out onto the balcony as quietly as we can. If you happened to be eavesdropping and you didn't see what we were talking about, you would probably think we sounded like stalkers or some kind of creepynosy couple because our conversation goes like this--in whispers:
"I see him! I see him!"
"Look! Look! He's here!"
"He's waiting for them, where do you think they are?"
"Let's be quiet and see what he does!"
"Over there, on the roof. He's on that branch now."
"Oh, he's calling them now! yay!"
"Put Peanut inside, or else he's going to hear us and know we're out here. He doesn't like it, he's scared of us."
"Ooh they're here! They're here! Look so happy!"
"Shhh! Do you want them to hear you?!"
"I think it's a boy, I'm not sure. The girl is the big brown one."
"They're feeding each other! Ew is that a bug???"
"Shush now! They're going to know we're watching! Be quiet."
"There they go, I hope they come back tomorrow."
We have been charmed by 3 cardinals who 'meet up' every evening in our tree, then fly back and forth to the bushes, feeding the smallest one and each other. It happens the same way. The male, who is the only one I've been able to get a picture of(from afar), arrives. He begins calling, really loud, I should add. This goes on for about 20 minutes before the other two arrive. I'm guessing this is his mate and little one. I've tried to take pictures of mother and baby but I don't think they like the sound of my camera since they fly away the second I bring it out so I don't try anymore. I'm not a hundred percent sure but I think the baby is a male because although most of his chubby body is brown, the tips of his wings and his cheeks are beginning to turn that beautiful crimson. The fact that he' s fat, makes me giggle. Two days ago, I saw that little one catch a beetle in flight(all by himself) just inches from my eyes, as we were checking the mail. Mr. Pea and I looked at each other with pride, as if we were the ones who taught him how to do it. I don' t know why we love them so much, we've been watching them all Spring and I guess we feel like they are part of our little family now.
*The pictures are fuzzy because of the screen.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
The Birds
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7 comments:
Awwww, I loved that story. Thank you!
It gets even better. I just read on About.com that cardinals mate for life. And that the male goes out for food when the chicks are too young to fly and feeds everyone. Dammit, I have to get myself a bird book!-- Suggestions welcome.
Yay birds!
Sibley's Birding Basics is a good book about birding, and there are also other Sibley's guides. There's also a really cool Palm Pilot program by National Geographic, but it's a pretty penny.
Definitely Sibley's, but I also have Peterson's and Audubon guides - granted, I am a little bit nuts about field guides - and they all offer something a little different.
They're beautiful birds. When I lived in snow country, I had feeders out in the winter, and only cardinals, blue jays and squirrels were still around as they don't migrate south.
Your pictures are cool, and it's a good thing Peanut can't climb trees.
Every morning my parents wake up and watch the birds together over a cup of coffee. So sweet! Bird watching can be a very fun thing to do as a couple. :)
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