Morning Coffee, Birds and Memories

  It is always fun to see the migratory birds when they pass through the area.  This morning was a thrill because, as soon as I put out the birdseed and settled down on the front steps with my cup of coffee, several Rose-breasted Grosbeaks flew in to have breakfast.  What a delight to have such sweet company with my coffee!  I marveled at their beauty while I sipped coffee and waited for the sun to rise.

  All day, the birds hung around and soon became so accustomed to me that they did not fly away when I ventured too near.  Using the wheelbarrow, I was hauling load after load of mulch from down the hill.  The mulch was being spread in the gardens not far from where I put the seed.  The grosbeaks would look at me to make sure I was not getting too close then would go back to cracking the shells of the sunflower seeds.

  My first experience with these birds dates far back to my childhood.  I spent a good bit of time with my grandparents and learned a lot about the birds that would visit their feeders.  Granddad had made a long feeder out of an old playground slide to fit right up under their picture window. Grandmother would let me get the scoop of birdseed to scatter on that long tray and then she and I would watch the birds through the window.  She had a large picture book used to identify the birds.  It was from that book that I learned the names of birds.  Grandmother let me study that book every time I was visiting.  

  I am not sure what ever happened to the "bird book" but I sure wish I had gotten it.  Not only did it hold the names and pictures of birds but it held a ton of memories, also.  I thought of all these things over coffee this morning with my lovely visitors.