Bird Song

As this hot, muggy day continues to unfold I reflect back to its early start. I awoke early as usual around 0630. It was already starting to heat up. I woke my husband hoping to steal a few quiet moments with him before the rest of the world made its presence known. We assumed our early morning positions on our front porch. Being Sunday most of our neighbors were still fast asleep. We were greeted with natures stereo. There was the soft coos of the ground doves especially from the one that has turned our anniversary plant into a nest. The grackles litted back and forth with the high pitch tones and screams as they called to one another when they found a morning bounty of newly laid grass seed. The squirrels chatted amongst the trees tops. Then through it all came the rhythmic tapping of a woodpecker. My ears perked up as I search nearby perches for a glimpse of this rare visitor to town. I secretly hoped for a Pilated Woodpecker since I will never forget my first sighting of this large bird resembling that which I had become familiar with in cartoons. The woodpecker has not been in the neighborhood long maybe two weeks we've been hearing it.

I watched the ground doves chase one another in and out of the tree branches. The elusive woodpecker continued on. It brought out a curious onlooker from the next block over. The lady searched her trees but did not seem to see anything. The noise stopped, only for a moment though there it was again this time louder and closer. I got a little excited and began an earnest scan of nearby trees. Moments later it got my attention, a small male downy woodpecker making quick work of the telephone pole across the street. It brought me a smile that I relished on my own since my ethusasim with nature is not quite shared to same extent with my husband. He found it interesting just not exciting. As quick as he came he was gone which surprised me but I came to understand why within minutes. A quick heavy downpour drenched us and made the need to mow the lawn move further down the priority list.

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