Each spring the birds begin to arrive from the south. Over
the years i've made a game out of it and the computer indicates
when each bird is expected. It never gets boring because each
year is different. New birds arrive, some birds fail to show up,
and the numbers of birds changes. One might think this is just
a frivolous game of bird watching.
The truth is that we get more from this than just recreation.
The birds are part of the ecology and impact insect
populations along with many other things. They tell us how
our habitat is doing and give hints about what might be
changing.
The swallow nesting pattern is directly controlled by how
many insects they find in the area. If it is devoid of
insects they move on. The cowbird population is controlled
by how many finches are around to raise their eggs. The
finches like seeds and prefer certain plants. On and on.
At first the birds are just birds, but after a few years of
observation they begin to tell a story. Recognizing them
also becomes second nature. I can tell a robin by the way it
looks for insects. It isn't necessary to see the bird
clearly, all one needs is to determine what it is doing.
The first year we had a large grape crop it stayed on the
vine and i had visions of making raisins each year. Then one
day i spotted a tanager. The jays watched the tanager and
that was it for the grapes. Each year the same birds return
and wait for those grapes. Now the game becomes observation
and adapt. I've noticed that the birds always go for certain
grapes or berries first and leave the area when it gets cold.
A few linger if the food is available but not many. This
suggests a solution.
One of the most secretive birds in this area is the crow.
Their reputation as a nuisance bird changes when they move to
a forest area. This is where they build a nest and hide it.
Each day they fly miles away to find food then cautiously fly
home to a high nest in the trees. Occasionally, they hunt
locally and fly went anyone comes within sight.
The crow population seems tied to local agriculture and they
like fields and farmers. The direction they fly also tells
us which farmer has a crop they like.
Each bird has a few stories to tell and we see 20-30
different types of birds each year. My favorite story is
about the time i sat on the porch and bird came and landed on
my knee. It left after awhile and i speculated it was not
quite right in the head. The same bird came back later and
perched nearby. Now the swallows are doing the same thing.
Makes one wonder...
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Jeff Owens ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) Zone 7, http://www.teleport.com/~kowens
Underground house, solar energy, reduced consumption, no TV
