Sept28, 2008

The common grackles are migrating through this week, foraging en mass through the neighborhood trees during the mid-morning, irritating the white-winged doves in my Chinese tallow.
Since Hurricane Ike, several tallow trees have been twisted off and dangling, accelerating the maturization of its nuts. I have been watching these 2 dove all morning long, with their occasional vocalizations (the larger bird makes a whining upward inflection "Do it?"; the smaller bird utters an subtle squeal similar to a starling). At first I thought they were courting-- now I believe they are rivals. They both gradually move closer to each other, tail-flipping, until they get about a meter away and one swoops at the other, starting the 30 minute cycle over.
No sign of broad-tailed hawk kettles yet; was entertained last week by a sharp-shinned hawk flying beside my scooter before it quickly veered away into nearby oak trees, probably securing lunch in its amazing method of hunting.
Local blue jays and cardinals visit, or call from nearby; the red-bellied woodpecker family make their usual rounds before returning to their nest hole next door. Their distinctive call adds a bit of euphony to the harshness of the jay's call, but they cannot compete with the jays repertoire or ability to mimick the red-shouldered hawk, which has repeatedly tricked me into dashing to the front yard only to become aware of the abilities of this jester.
Thank you, God, for another beautiful day in this world.