Getting to Know the Neighbors
By that I do not mean my human neighbors. Two of the three houses next to ours are empty, which leaves a certain impediment in that quest. Our own property claims always overlap with the homes and territories defined across different lengths and dimensions by the animals who share our space. Our birdfeeders have given us the most rewarding opportunity to discover some of the winged community members whose daily living mingles alongside ours.
I have always been something of a fan of the Northern Cardinal. The bright red plumage of the male is always lovely to behold and looks especially impressive against a snowy background such as we have experienced on a couple of occasions this winter. Cardinals also tend to form bonded pairs. So two of our neighbors are a male and female Cardinal couple who never stray too far from one another. One may venture away about hundred feet or so but it often isn't long before the other arrives on the scene as well. And when they are separated they seem insistent on keeping contact. Just the other day when I was leaving the house after lunch I saw the female repeating short, single chirps from a tree at the house next to our driveway. The male echoed each chirp from an evergreen tree at the abandoned house across the street. But more often than not I see them hiding together in the ample bush near our seed feeder.
Our other known neighbor is a male Red-Bellied Woodpecker, which is kind of a dumb name since the distinctive red mark is on their heads. He's a much bigger, noisier fellow with a loner personality and a territorial zeal. Whether by intent or sheer frightening size he scares the other birds away from the feeders in a hurry. He comes to both feeders but prefers the suet hanging from the oak tree out front. I feel like he deserves a name but I haven't decided on a fitting one for him yet. Any suggestions?
Labels: Agrariana, Home, The Pleasures of Life
