Cooperative Living May 2021 - 42

Rural Living | by Margo Oxendine, Contributing Columnist
Strictly for the Birds
Lessons from observing avians
H
ere's the best of many glorious
things about May: Did you
know there are more birds in
our area in May than any other time
of year? Yes!
Now is the time they are building
and then occupying their nests. If
you're lucky, they've built one where
you can peer inside at the goings-on
and progress. This is one of my favorite
hobbies: spying on bird nests. I've
been fortunate enough these past
few springs to be able to examine
at least one every day.
Sometimes, very bad things happen.
A couple years ago, the Mama Robin
who builds its nest in an azalea
bush adjacent to my porch had
three beautiful blue eggs it
was hatching. I was entranced.
Then, one morning I looked
out and - whoosh - the eggs
were nowhere to be seen. I pondered.
I looked closely around and ... there
it was: a big, black snake lurking
near the bush.
Once, when I was house-sitting,
there were two canaries I was feeding
and keeping an eye on. I learned birds
are messy, messy things. But one
morning I went out to their happy
little cage out on the enclosed porch,
and there were no birdies. Instead, a
fat, black snake was curled up inside.
It was awful. It wasn't the first
time I had to tell homeowners and
friends that " someone " had died while
under my care. But it was perhaps
the worst. The other two late pets
were a turtle named Cleo and an old,
revered goldfish named Bob. (It took
me two days before I finally realized
Cleo had expired. Turtles are not
the liveliest pets.)
But, on to happier times. I love
to watch the hatchlings emerge from
their eggshells. They are tiny, naked
things. Their mouths are always open.
40 | Cooperative Living | May 2021
They are " peeping " as loudly as they
can, which is barely audible. The
parents - both Mama and Papa Bird
- are busy: busy finding bugs and
such to feed them, at all hours,
seemingly nonstop.
The babies grow and start to crowd
one another. Yet still, their little beaks
are wide open waiting for sustenance.
One must watch very carefully,
at all times, to catch them finally
fluttering and flying away. And,
that's it. Mama deserts the nest rather
than lounging around after a season
of diligent work. Every now and
then, if I'm really fortunate, it will
come back and lay and hatch
another brood.
This spring, I decided to
start feeding the birds from a
small feeder I could see from
my " reading window. " They were
voracious at first. It surprised me how
much and how often they eat. Then
one day I filled up the feeder and
waited for the frenzy. It did not occur.
The birds wouldn't go near the thing.
I had changed my brand of seed,
and they wanted nothing to do with
it. I dumped the seed over the side of
the hill, and darn if the birds didn't
flock back and start eating it off the
ground. Go figure.
What I am hoping for is this:
A robin or two and a cardinal couple
will make nests in the azalea bushes
outside the front porch. And a wren
will invariably set up housekeeping
in a corner of the back porch. Mama
Wren will divebomb me whenever
I go out to the garbage can.
Ah, my entertainment will return
again. ■
Order Margo's book, " A Party of One. "
Call 540-468-2147, Mon.-Thurs., 9-5,
or email therecorderoffice@gmail.com.
co-opliving.com
WherezIt?
Look for the CL logo, like the one here, in
the pages of each issue of Cooperative Living.
Submit the page number where you found
it along with your name, email and phone
number to WherezIt, c/o Cooperative Living,
P.O. Box 2340, Glen Allen, VA 23058-2340 or
go online at co-opliving.com under " Contests. "
Deadline is May 20. The winner will receive
a $25 Amazon email gift card.
The CL in the January issue
was hidden on page 5.
Deborah Cromwell of Winchester,
Va., is our WherezIt winner.
Congratulations, Deborah!
WhatzIt?
Each issue, we will publish a photo of a familiar
but unidentified object. Submit your best
guess along with your name, email and phone
number to WhatzIt?, c/o Cooperative Living,
P.O. Box 2340, Glen Allen, VA 23058-2340
or guess online at co-opliving.com under
" Contests. " Deadline is May 20. Correct entries
will be placed in a drawing for a $25 Amazon
email gift card.
DO YOU
KNOW WHAT
THIS IS?
The February WhatzIt were chess pieces.
Craig Gooch of Milford, Va., is our $25 email
gift card winner. Congratulations, Craig!
http://www.co-opliving.com http://www.co-opliving.com http://www.co-opliving.com
Cooperative Living May 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Cooperative Living May 2021
