The other day when I was out walking our street, I had made it down to the cul-de-sac when I heard a house wren, a little brown bird that sounds like a Christmas tree ornament that is running on an energizer battery. I found him perched at the very top of the tree or tall bush in the middle of the circle, holding forth for all the world to hear. He looked really vulnerable up there. Having had experiences with snakes eating birds, I began to imagine a dialogue:
The Serpent and the Wren
”You’d make a tasty mouthful,”
Said the serpent to the wren,
”For some malicious predator
To haul off to his den.
”So fly on down and hop around;
I’ll be your bosom friend,
And nothing dire will then transpire
To bring about your end!”
”Thank you,” said the wren in turn;
”You have an honest eye
That sends a chill through hollow bones
And keeps me in the sky!”
We have a number of feeders out back where we can watch the birds from either the dining room window or the deck. For about 6 days we had a small number of Baltimore Orioles landing on and eating the orange halves that Mary put out there, or on the hummingbird feeder. Then they all vanished without a thank you or farewell. We miss them. Unfortunately, a number of raucous and contentious grackles have continued to stay and eat the expensive seed.
Heckle and Jeckle?
Four and no more blackbirds
Were fighting at the feeder;
No more brightly colored birds
Were waiting in the cedar;
Except the Carolina Wren,
Lovely, eye-stripped, and eager!
The Carolina wren is one of all-time favorites, along with the Baltimore oriole, the rose-breasted grosbeak, and the indigo bunting.
Orange
The traveling bird from Baltimore,
The oriole by name,
Has a breast of brilliant orange,
Like Moses’ bush in flame!
