A spell comes over me as I enter through the garden arch. The trumpet vine is allowed to grow through the top of the trellis intentionally so that a commensurate bow is required. This in deference to the Life/lives of those who dwell within.
The tinkling of chimes and the rustling of the breeze through leaves of all shades begin to set the scene. What new colors have bloomed since last I passed this way? Who has hatched, emerged, began life in this garden? Tweets and chirps, whistles and caws accompany me as I make my way through my enchanted wonderland.
A friendly bunny greets me with soft half closed eyes as a precocious little catbird swoops in dressed in his finest grey suit and black cap. The swish of his wings so close would have startled me if I weren't already under Mother Nature's spell.
Enchanted. Grinning like the Cheshire Cat of Alice in Wonderland fame I drift through the grass and boughs, listening, observing, taking it all in. The scent of rosemary rises up, wafting through the moisture laden morning air. Further along the heady perfume of pink Mimosa tree puffs intoxicates me and lifts the Spirit even more.
The sweet Summer sunshine is drawing dappled patterns of light and shade upon the glistening dewdrops of a morning lawn. Bewitched by the movement and flow of leafy shadows and the warmth of this day my awareness shifts to a butterfly sipping on Bee Balm and then the mating song of a romantic cardinal.
Insects launch from the old stump wafting upward in a cloud of gossamer wings to become breakfast for the Purple Martins and Barn Swallows performing aerial acrobatics above. Diving through the sky, closer and closer to me dozens of winged wonders delight in the feast, never even coming near to colliding. Some force keeps them safe. Perhaps they are enjoying enchantment as well.
I know there are Faeries dancing on the dandelions. I can feel the gaze of Elfin beings from the dark recesses of the meditation area though I cannot see either of them. Yet.
What magick enlivens this place? Is there some vortex of energy swirling through the ethers and focusing here? Perhaps it is the continuing ever-present stream of consciousness that passes from generation to generation, the continuity of all Life. Birds, blooms, insects, shrubs, animals and unseen beings too, feel it and rejoice in it. For now, I think I will join them.
Birdwatching, Gardening, Deep Thinking
Showing posts with label Summer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Summer. Show all posts
Friday, June 21, 2013
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Bird-sonalities
Only if you really observe Nature as closely as I do will you notice that birds have personalities. Mostly "birds of a feather really do stick together" in that each species seems to have a certain way of operating.
Mourning Doves (yes, that's mourning, not "morning" because of their sad whistling song) are a particularly interesting lot. They are fierce as babys or "immature" birds and will fight off any and all challenging adults at the food bowl. That is despite their reputation as lovey doves, which I believe they have earned for another reason.
They are perhaps the most prolific of backyard birds in the reproduction area and will produce two or three nests per season. It is always the more colorful males you see chasing and bullying the females from early February, right thru til September. They are quite colorful, although good camouflage makes us see them as drab brown. Their legs and feet are hot pink, wedgewood blue on the top of their heads with a matching eye ring, and shiny metallic gold and pink decorations on the sides of their necks. Perhaps that's what makes them irresistable to the ladies!
They have to be plentiful because Doves are the preferred menu item for hawks, unfortunately for them, due to their plumpness.
Grackles are rude. They have great survival skills... just chase everyone away from the seeds and they are yours! They are loud, travel in gangs and have longer sharp beaks. Also very prolific, perhaps because of their brashness, but less desirable to preditors because of their mob mentality. Who wants to get in the middle of that! They are also the ones who you frequently see dive-bombing a hawk, crows or Osprey in mid air while pecking them on the head. They are useful to other birds in that way like the mafia is useful in keeping other thugs out of their district!
Starlings hang with the grackles. They are disguise artists and look like different birds in the Winter than they do in the Summer. They are also rude, pushy and will eat anything, particularly if you have provided it with love for another species! In two seconds, your Woodpecker's suet will be gone! They seem to have an insatiable hunger. As youngins they have a particularly annoying squeal that never stops! They also come in mobs and when they swoop in and join the Grackles the sound of their wingbeats is a loud whoosh! Starlings make a cackling series of snapping, crackling sounds like someone shuffling a deck of cards along with some pretty talented whistling. When they leave with the other blackbirds, they darken the sky with their minions.
Redwing Blackbirds are more loners. The males will join the pack of blackbirds, if they have nothing better to do, but they are more the family type. They spend most of their time fetching food for their females on nests, and their young, although they have been known to have more than one family at a time. Scandalous! They are also loud, gregarious birds, but beautiful and not at all annoying- unless you count that ear piercing two note whistle!
Friendly Brown Headed Cowbirds on the other hand have not a care in the world. They will fly with the notorious Blackbird Gang, but only because they know where all the best food courts are. BHCBs are so carefree because all they have to do is mate and go back to having fun! Females pirate other birds' nests, meaning that they watch other species building their nests and when the time is right, they sneak in and deposit the orphaned eggs for some other poor unsuspecting bird to raise. Usually it is a Song Sparrow's nest here and since Cowbird babies are almost as large as Sparrow Moms, I have observed a comical, but sad scenario many times.
Lets pick another color... Blue's good! It is said to calm your mood and that is sure true if you like laughing so hard you're exhausted. I once witnessed a bunch of Blue Jays in a bare tree (which is rare, usually they are seen in pairs or alone). It was like some kind of crazy carnival ride! There was bobbing and squealing and jiggling and giggling. Ok, the giggling was me, but Blue Jays have a sense of humor! They are very smart and will steal things, especially shiny ones and fly off with them to who knows where, as if we could follow. I saw a playful jay swipe a ticket right out of hand of a girl waiting on a line! And then there was the time three Blue Jays turned the tables on a Coopers hawk and were harrassing and poking at him/her high up in a tree. They seemed to be enjoying the reversal of roles since it was not nesting season and there were no babies to protect.
Speaking of cheeky behavior, Cedar Waxwings, those caring, community-minded citizens travel in small flocks. Waxwings will pass a berry all the way down a line of birds to make sure the ones on the end get fed. Awww...
Mockingbirds are mimics of other birds, as you may know, but if you listen to their recital, you might hear car alarm sounds or other noises they pick up in their individual neighborhoods!
Catbirds will watch you as much as you watch them. The curious birds will quietly sit and observe you in your garden, moving only to get a closer view of you. And as you may know, I have a particular Catbird friend who has come to trust me and will eat jelly out of a tiny bowl in my hand. His wife is more skittish, but still friendly. Their personalities seem to be sweet.
Ok, one more and then I gotta go! Chickadees, are fearless! Their tiny size doesn't stop them from eating out of your hand once they're used to you, or mixing it up with the big kids. They are quick little suckers, so they are not afraid of hawks and Crows as they can easily outfly them. They also "wear their hearts on their sleeves" so to speak. I say this because they are always making some sound that sounds appropriate to whatever they are doing at the time, and they have loads of songs, tweets and individual notes! Happy, busy even plaintiff or like a sad cry.
There are gazillions more species (well, lots anyway) and I will do my best to psychoanalyze them for you as I discover their individual and species-wide Bird-sonalities!
Mourning Doves (yes, that's mourning, not "morning" because of their sad whistling song) are a particularly interesting lot. They are fierce as babys or "immature" birds and will fight off any and all challenging adults at the food bowl. That is despite their reputation as lovey doves, which I believe they have earned for another reason.
They are perhaps the most prolific of backyard birds in the reproduction area and will produce two or three nests per season. It is always the more colorful males you see chasing and bullying the females from early February, right thru til September. They are quite colorful, although good camouflage makes us see them as drab brown. Their legs and feet are hot pink, wedgewood blue on the top of their heads with a matching eye ring, and shiny metallic gold and pink decorations on the sides of their necks. Perhaps that's what makes them irresistable to the ladies!
They have to be plentiful because Doves are the preferred menu item for hawks, unfortunately for them, due to their plumpness.
Grackles are rude. They have great survival skills... just chase everyone away from the seeds and they are yours! They are loud, travel in gangs and have longer sharp beaks. Also very prolific, perhaps because of their brashness, but less desirable to preditors because of their mob mentality. Who wants to get in the middle of that! They are also the ones who you frequently see dive-bombing a hawk, crows or Osprey in mid air while pecking them on the head. They are useful to other birds in that way like the mafia is useful in keeping other thugs out of their district!
Starlings hang with the grackles. They are disguise artists and look like different birds in the Winter than they do in the Summer. They are also rude, pushy and will eat anything, particularly if you have provided it with love for another species! In two seconds, your Woodpecker's suet will be gone! They seem to have an insatiable hunger. As youngins they have a particularly annoying squeal that never stops! They also come in mobs and when they swoop in and join the Grackles the sound of their wingbeats is a loud whoosh! Starlings make a cackling series of snapping, crackling sounds like someone shuffling a deck of cards along with some pretty talented whistling. When they leave with the other blackbirds, they darken the sky with their minions.
Redwing Blackbirds are more loners. The males will join the pack of blackbirds, if they have nothing better to do, but they are more the family type. They spend most of their time fetching food for their females on nests, and their young, although they have been known to have more than one family at a time. Scandalous! They are also loud, gregarious birds, but beautiful and not at all annoying- unless you count that ear piercing two note whistle!
Friendly Brown Headed Cowbirds on the other hand have not a care in the world. They will fly with the notorious Blackbird Gang, but only because they know where all the best food courts are. BHCBs are so carefree because all they have to do is mate and go back to having fun! Females pirate other birds' nests, meaning that they watch other species building their nests and when the time is right, they sneak in and deposit the orphaned eggs for some other poor unsuspecting bird to raise. Usually it is a Song Sparrow's nest here and since Cowbird babies are almost as large as Sparrow Moms, I have observed a comical, but sad scenario many times.
Lets pick another color... Blue's good! It is said to calm your mood and that is sure true if you like laughing so hard you're exhausted. I once witnessed a bunch of Blue Jays in a bare tree (which is rare, usually they are seen in pairs or alone). It was like some kind of crazy carnival ride! There was bobbing and squealing and jiggling and giggling. Ok, the giggling was me, but Blue Jays have a sense of humor! They are very smart and will steal things, especially shiny ones and fly off with them to who knows where, as if we could follow. I saw a playful jay swipe a ticket right out of hand of a girl waiting on a line! And then there was the time three Blue Jays turned the tables on a Coopers hawk and were harrassing and poking at him/her high up in a tree. They seemed to be enjoying the reversal of roles since it was not nesting season and there were no babies to protect.
Speaking of cheeky behavior, Cedar Waxwings, those caring, community-minded citizens travel in small flocks. Waxwings will pass a berry all the way down a line of birds to make sure the ones on the end get fed. Awww...
Mockingbirds are mimics of other birds, as you may know, but if you listen to their recital, you might hear car alarm sounds or other noises they pick up in their individual neighborhoods!
Catbirds will watch you as much as you watch them. The curious birds will quietly sit and observe you in your garden, moving only to get a closer view of you. And as you may know, I have a particular Catbird friend who has come to trust me and will eat jelly out of a tiny bowl in my hand. His wife is more skittish, but still friendly. Their personalities seem to be sweet.
Ok, one more and then I gotta go! Chickadees, are fearless! Their tiny size doesn't stop them from eating out of your hand once they're used to you, or mixing it up with the big kids. They are quick little suckers, so they are not afraid of hawks and Crows as they can easily outfly them. They also "wear their hearts on their sleeves" so to speak. I say this because they are always making some sound that sounds appropriate to whatever they are doing at the time, and they have loads of songs, tweets and individual notes! Happy, busy even plaintiff or like a sad cry.
There are gazillions more species (well, lots anyway) and I will do my best to psychoanalyze them for you as I discover their individual and species-wide Bird-sonalities!
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Early Morning, Late Summer
There is a time in late Summer mornings when the sounds and sights and scents are intoxicating. When the sun peaks through the masque of shattered shade and illuminates tenacious Impatiens, the effect is stunning! Multi-colored threads of spiderwebs glisten in the dappled sunlight like oil in puddles of
Summer air.
Starlings gather in the treetops above to discuss the day's itinerary. In a whoosh of wingbeats they are on their way. Cicadas are chattering, dragon and damselflies begin their day and crickets are marking their metered music. Bullfrogs are quieting and settling in to their hollows and insects are hurrying by trying to
avoid them. Every living thing seems determined and purposeful as it begins the day.
The sweet scent of some unseen flowers mingles with the earthy smell of cedar and fresh-fallen leaves. I am overcome as my nose tries to sort them out. My lungs drawing in more and more as if I couldn't exhale and try again! Something green, something musty, floral, spicy- the incense of Nature.
There is a time in late Summer mornings when the breeze is delicious and the birds are too busy to be afraid of you. When you are "glowing" with the power of appreciation of the surrounding beauty, you pose no threat to them. This must be communicated to them because they are all instinct and senses we do not yet understand. Chickadees are chick-a-dee-dee-ing and Hummingbirds are humming their happy morning song. Even the yard bunny is otherwise engaged with her breakfast.
There's a coolness in the air before the sun takes over. Today the clouds are ever-changing pouffs of every possible cloudy hue. From brilliant white to deep blue-grey they billow and undulate as they hurry on their way. Are they going somewhere to wreak havoc and are we just not privy to the joke?
I allow the breeze to blow through me and clear the cobwebs out of my mind. In a peaceful moment such as this, one can gather one's thoughts and commune with whatever percieved Spirit dwells within. Perhaps we can hear the plan for our day whispered on the breeze or hidden in the chirps and chatters that fill the
early morning air.
There is a time in late Summer mornings when one can become enchanted by the launching of Life and the begining of a new day.
Summer air.
Starlings gather in the treetops above to discuss the day's itinerary. In a whoosh of wingbeats they are on their way. Cicadas are chattering, dragon and damselflies begin their day and crickets are marking their metered music. Bullfrogs are quieting and settling in to their hollows and insects are hurrying by trying to
avoid them. Every living thing seems determined and purposeful as it begins the day.
The sweet scent of some unseen flowers mingles with the earthy smell of cedar and fresh-fallen leaves. I am overcome as my nose tries to sort them out. My lungs drawing in more and more as if I couldn't exhale and try again! Something green, something musty, floral, spicy- the incense of Nature.
There is a time in late Summer mornings when the breeze is delicious and the birds are too busy to be afraid of you. When you are "glowing" with the power of appreciation of the surrounding beauty, you pose no threat to them. This must be communicated to them because they are all instinct and senses we do not yet understand. Chickadees are chick-a-dee-dee-ing and Hummingbirds are humming their happy morning song. Even the yard bunny is otherwise engaged with her breakfast.
There's a coolness in the air before the sun takes over. Today the clouds are ever-changing pouffs of every possible cloudy hue. From brilliant white to deep blue-grey they billow and undulate as they hurry on their way. Are they going somewhere to wreak havoc and are we just not privy to the joke?
I allow the breeze to blow through me and clear the cobwebs out of my mind. In a peaceful moment such as this, one can gather one's thoughts and commune with whatever percieved Spirit dwells within. Perhaps we can hear the plan for our day whispered on the breeze or hidden in the chirps and chatters that fill the
early morning air.
There is a time in late Summer mornings when one can become enchanted by the launching of Life and the begining of a new day.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Summer: Inside & Out
I'm late for a date with the garden gate.
More hours of daylight til Fall.
There's news to watch and meals to plate.
Thank God it gets dark at all.
First day of Summer, just saw a female "hummer"
Sippin' raspberry bee balm.
What caught my eye, is it a newcomer?
It's nine baby ducks and their Mom.
Outside it's hot, 'round the house I trot
Coffee cup in hand.
What a lovely choice I've got,
Blog or "work my land"!
Roses thorns and thunderstorms
Are reasons to come in.
But dry porch chairs and bandaids worn...
I'd rather be out here than in.
Much to do, enjoy the view,
Bugs, butterflies and bees,
The songs of birds, the flowers' hues,
The scent of Mimosa trees.
Again I'm torn, (as is my norm),
My chair I abdicate.
All the fun out in the warm
Summer sun awaits.
A sense of pride can't be denied
As I gaze at garden rows.
But everytime I step outside,
My long to-do list grows.
I need a break, my muscles ache,
Sweat beads upon my brow.
An air-conditioned iced tea break
Would sure be great right now.
Outside the walls, the garden calls
While inside I ignore
The work I love and still I stall
Before I start my chores.
Labor of Love, a gift from Above,
A blessing of peace undisturbed.
Goldfinch, Catbird, Blue Jay, Doves,
Tomato, cucumber and herbs.
Cardinals woo, Mourning Doves coo,
Nature's abundance just flows.
Witnessing all of the Life bursting through...
Who cares about tv shows!
More hours of daylight til Fall.
There's news to watch and meals to plate.
Thank God it gets dark at all.
First day of Summer, just saw a female "hummer"
Sippin' raspberry bee balm.
What caught my eye, is it a newcomer?
It's nine baby ducks and their Mom.
Outside it's hot, 'round the house I trot
Coffee cup in hand.
What a lovely choice I've got,
Blog or "work my land"!
Roses thorns and thunderstorms
Are reasons to come in.
But dry porch chairs and bandaids worn...
I'd rather be out here than in.
Much to do, enjoy the view,
Bugs, butterflies and bees,
The songs of birds, the flowers' hues,
The scent of Mimosa trees.
Again I'm torn, (as is my norm),
My chair I abdicate.
All the fun out in the warm
Summer sun awaits.
A sense of pride can't be denied
As I gaze at garden rows.
But everytime I step outside,
My long to-do list grows.
I need a break, my muscles ache,
Sweat beads upon my brow.
An air-conditioned iced tea break
Would sure be great right now.
Outside the walls, the garden calls
While inside I ignore
The work I love and still I stall
Before I start my chores.
Labor of Love, a gift from Above,
A blessing of peace undisturbed.
Goldfinch, Catbird, Blue Jay, Doves,
Tomato, cucumber and herbs.
Cardinals woo, Mourning Doves coo,
Nature's abundance just flows.
Witnessing all of the Life bursting through...
Who cares about tv shows!
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