Birds in the Yard

As I'm sitting here at the computer trying to compose my thoughts into some orderly manner, I am listening to a Western Meadowlark right outside the window.  It is distracting to me.  I actually hear him nearly every morning -- either him or one of the others that hang around our place.  I enjoy his song even though it is somewhat repetitive.

There are 3 or 4 variations that he sings.  I wish that I could describe them but, it's just not possible with words.  He sings early when there is little wind.  As the winds rise he falls silent.

There are several kinds of birds that hang around our place.  Besides the Meadowlark, we have several Western King Birds.  They are the fearless midget warriors of the plains.  They will attack hawks in mid flight.  They catch grasshoppers and pin them to the barbs of a barbed wire fence.  They will dive at you if they think you are going to go near their nest.  We also have a couple of Mockingbirds that hang around.  And occasionally we see a few Bobwhite Quail.  I always enjoy the quail.  Especially when one sits on top of a fence post calling to his tribe.

Of course there are other birds.  There are numerous varieties of sparrows, the occasional cowbird, lots of grackles, and a few hawks.  There are species that migrate through annually such as robins and the occasional bluejay.  I really enjoy seeing the "rare" ones for our area though.  Like a cedar waxwing, cardinal, house wren, or hundreds of others that I can't name.  We have a couple of bird identification books that are kept near at hand.  When we see a bird we don't immediately know we try to identify him from the books.

I wonder why birds interest us so much?  Is it their song?  Is it the mystery of where they have been and where they are going?  Is it that we long for their freedom?  Could it be that we envy their flight and their seeming joy as expressed in their songs?  I don't know, but, I do know that birds facinate me just as they do many people.

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" -- Matthew 6:26

Chris