The Birds

 For some reason birds hold a certain fascination for me. Perhaps it's because they are like fish in that they come in such diverse colors and shapes and each one fits perfectly well in its environment. A few weeks ago a pair of Stellars Jays showed up on the scene. They usually arrive sometime around February and stick around until the snow is gone and then I  don't see them for a long while. I'm not sure where they go. It's the time of year when I start seeing a Varied Thrush or two- like the one in the middle picture. I've heard them called Telephone Birds because of the sound they make later on in the year, kind of like a phone ringing. Last week there was a Magpie hanging around. They are a beautiful bird, brilliant black and white with a hint of teal green and a long, squarish tail. I wanted to get a picture of it, but as soon as I reached for the camera, it took off. Go figure. That happened to me last year too when I heard the dog going crazy and looking at the back porch. When I went to check it out there was a hawk sitting in front of the door. A blizzard was howling at the time and I figured he was holding up until the weather cleared. I ran in and got the camera, but right when I got it focused he flew away. He came back a second time with the same results. No doubt if  I had  never reached for the camera he would have stayed there all day; probably would have called in some of his bird friends and had a picnic. I had another really interesting episode involving a hawk years ago when I was living at the farm. Our house was near the end of the property line and was located in the old growth forest. A boardwalk ran between our home and the next closest property. It was incredibly quiet and private and I happened to be carrying an extension ladder down the boardwalk to my home. I had to pee, so I stood the ladder upright and took care of business. While I was standing there, a hawk flew through the woods and landed on top of the ladder. He stayed for thirty seconds or so  looking around, and  took off. It was pretty neat.
 A few days ago I was looking out the kitchen window and saw four or five little sparrow like birds land in the Hemlock tree out back and start hanging upside down eating the seeds out of the cones. I don't know what kind they are. I  have a friend here whose sister is getting a Phd. in orinthology. I guess she'll be a doctor of birds. I should contact her to find out what they were.   Last week I swear I saw two Robins squabbling in the bushes. There was  snow on the ground and it was cold and blowing. What the heck were they thinking? Apparently bone head ideas aren't limited to the human race. I haven't seem them since, so maybe they did a one-eighty and went back where the worms aren't frozen. I know if I had a choice of where to spend the winters, it sure wouldn't be here. I'd go where the worms are warm and the fish don't know it's winter.