This has been a dreadful week, for birding: the lift’s been out of service since last Thursday, so I’ve been cooped up indoors, gazing forlornly from my window. I can hear spring birds, below — chickadees, house sparrows, something I’m sure was a wren — but I can’t get at them. If the lift isn’t fixed in short order, I might try picking my way down the stairs. Getting back up might be a problem…but so is a week without sun, without birds, without the breeze on my face!
I’ve had house sparrows round my feeder again, lately, and the roof across the courtyard’s been lousy with pigeons. A sapling has taken root in my planter (how did that happen?). I thought it was a stick, at first, but this morning I looked out, and found it sprouting new leaves. That’s certainly an interesting development. How did a sapling get here? Did a bird bring a seed? Did I plant it myself, and forget? A mystery for the ages, I’m sure.
And my gullie visitor persists — check out his fine feathers:
The birds are beginning to strut their spring plumage: this gull is losing the grey speckles on its head and neck.
After preening, this gull had a feather stuck to its beak. It spent a good ten minutes trying to dislodge it, before finally working it free.
Sometimes, I want to wring this neck.
