Bird Brains

Job 39:13+ "The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, but they cannot compare with the pinions and feathers of the stork. She lays her eggs on the ground and lets them warm in the sand, unmindful that a foot may crush them, that some wild animal may trample them. She treats her young harshly, as if they were not hers; she cares not that her labor was in vain, for God did not endow her with wisdom or give her a share of good sense. Yet when she spreads her feathers to run, she laughs at horse and rider.

OK, I admit it. I am hopelessly fascinated with God's creation. I may not have had the privilege of a hunting heritage (with foggy sun-ups and deer and antelope playing... just before you shoot 'em.), nor have I had the motivation to take myself hiking very regularly. (I do take myself for walks, unless Juli is available, then she takes me for walks.) And I am also always in too big of a hurry it seems while traveling to stop and take pictures of beautiful scenery, though I do exclaim on-the-way-by how gorgeous a mountain is or how cool looking a particularly snaggy tree looks. I will say that the kids kinda disliked how obsessed I might get with a view if I do decide to stop by the roadside for a closer look at scenery... like on a trailering vacation or something. And I really get a kick out of my own neighborhood and its birds. And I am not talking about my neighbors named the Birds, although they do own one that is pretty funny.

The Birds have a bird (not one of their kids) that they always put outside during the day so it can sing. (It might dance also but I haven't actually seen it do that) When they first moved in, I remember thinking that my neighbor sure got a lot of calls on his Nextel. Then I found out it was his bird mimicking his Nextel. He said he would hesitate every time before answering because the sound was so accurate. The same thing happened with their home phone. They probably get a lot of extra exercise running for calls that aren't happening. (Kinda reminds me of those advertisements for the guy that always hears nature's call and then... well they have a pill for that now...)

Another neighborhood bird that I find hilarious is the Mockingbird. Have you ever just watched one for awhile? I got close enough once to catch a glimpse of espresso stains on it's beak... explained a lot. They chatter so loud and with such a varied repertoir , repertwa, um, songbook that they make me smile whenever I hear them. Even in the middle of the night. I know someone at our church that doesn't feel the same way though. This spouse of a deacon-who-has-a-job-with-the-city revealed that she used to keep pebbles handy to toss at mockingbirds if their singing was too loud or off-key. To be fair, she would only launch at them if the singing was at night, so I am sure her aim was probably compromised by darkness and also from that stuff that collects in your eyes while they've been closed.

So I was watching one (Maybe not a mockingbird. Maybe a Sock 'em bird) standing on top of our light-pole a couple feet away from a crow which was quietly (rare for a crow) minding its own business. As soon as the crow flew off, the littler bird flew up above the crow and bounced his beak and claws off the crow's head all the way across the cul-de-sac. (I don't think you could have seen that while hunting deer) The poor crow... um, the crow... squawked all the while as the Sockembird took cheep shots until they landed again.

A couple of days later I was in my own backyard getting ready to mow my lawn. I spotted a smallish bird clutching a blade of agapanthas in the center of the plant. I looked really close thinking it would fly away any second. When it did not I figured it must be hurt or sick or something. Rather than try to rescue it, I mowed my lawn. Do you know that even with my loud muffler and close proximity, that bird stayed in the bush? (I was going to wait until their were two in the bush to see if one in the hand was really better.) I decided to look at it a little closer after I put the lawnmower away, and I failed to notice that some cheeping in the trees over my head was getting closer... and more agitated. As I picked up a little stick and began to slowly reach toward the little bird, I was suddenly and without provocation attacked from above... and I'd left my pebbles on the porch!

Then last week I was reading a book outside by the pool. I noticed one of those silly birds stalking another crow. The crow was on the top of a redwood tree with one of those birds sneaking up on it through the branches. The crow wisely backed down and went looking for bugs. The little bird however decided the neighbor's cat would also make a great target. I watched as the bird sat on top of our common fence and I could see between the boards as the bird dive-bombed the top of the cats head three times in a row before the cat decided to head for the porch. He left pebbles in the bark. Ahem.

As the sun began going down I changed loungers (it was a tough day) and my reverie was interrupted by a loud commotion and splash as two of those Sock'embirds were locked in mortal combat and fell into the pool. I watched as they screeched and splashed their way over to the side of the pool to try to get out. One of them successfully flipped up and out of the pool and went to the nest to throw out the other bird's clothes and fishing stuff. Meanwhile the first bird continued to convincingly imitate a drowning bird by the side of the pool. As he fought a sinking feeling, I put my book down and ran for a net. I trotted over to where the bird was about to go under and put the net under him. I know it was a him because most girl birds don't own their own fishing stuff. I lifted him out of the water and since he was too wet to fly, he just ran down the fence-line to get away from me, his rescuer... and counselor if he'd just listen a minute! So I went back to my book and listened to the bird in the fence bushes as he toweled off. A couple minutes later our old Golden Retriever woke up, got all excited, and took off between the fence and the bushes. I saw the bird go running out the other side of the bush, wings flapping uselessly the whole time, skipping to the corner of our yard in an effort to trap itself. Fortunately for the bird, our Olden Retriever doesn't have as much scents as she used to and I observed her circling a bush for a couple minutes with her nose down while the bird watched from the ground another 15 feet away.

As I went back to my book I thought for sure I heard the neighbor's cat purring.

What was God thinking when he created all this? How interesting. How funny. How He must smile! How He must love us!

P.S. We also have a bird of paradise in the backyard. But it just sits there.