Critters In The Garden!

   While out working in the gardens this afternoon, I noticed that yet another of my critter friends came to visit.  This time, a mockingbird was my helper.  The bird was busying itself investigating the cabbages for worms.  Even though the birds scratch around in the mulch or sometimes cannot resist taking a nip out of the crops, I welcome birds into the garden.  These are free pest control and they fall under that category as being fully ecologically safe and organic!  In fact, there are very few critters that are not welcome around here.  

  I do have to wonder if it is possible that this is one of the mockingbirds that I raised after they were orphaned.  When I got the pair, they were so tiny that neither had much in the way of feathers and could do little more than flop around in the makeshift nest.  It was a daunting task to take on raising yet more critters and especially ones so tiny.  It became my duty to do round the clock feedings something I had not done in some 30 years at the time.  Happy to say, both birds survived and then adopted our old dog as their surrogate mom.  She was so very protective of her wards.  The birds flourished and I allowed them to come and go as they pleased for a while by keeping the screen door open.  Soon, they made their way to being "real" birds and joined their wild cousins.  Both did come back for a while to visit.  I would often find one clinging to the screen door wanting to come back inside the Little Bayou House.  Of course, they were welcome to enter and stay as long as they pleased.   Could this be Knox or Shelby?  Who knows?  I seriously doubt it but it is nice to think perhaps one or both are still around.  Regardless, the little mockingbird brought happiness to the day and I will take that!

Old Dogs and Mockingbirds

  Sometimes I ponder if critters remember the kind acts that we do for them.  Years ago, my brother and his little granddaughter brought two tiny, unfeathered mockingbirds to me.  The little girl looked at me with big sad eyes and asked if I could "make them live?"  It seems that her dog had knocked down the nest, killed two other little ones and the mother bird as she tried to protect them.  What could I do but agree to try....and that "try" was going to be an uphill battle, as far as I could see.  But...we do what we have to do and, to my surprise, not only did the little birds live, they thrived!  All of this gobbledygook leads up to an incident of today.  As I was out walking the old dog, a small head popped up out of the birdbath. Yep, a mockingbird was between the old dog and me.  I thought surely the bird would take flight as we were mere feet from the bath.  Nope, that mockingbird eyed the dog cautiously for a moment and went back to its splashing with nary a care.

  As I watched the bird frolicking in the water, memories of the two little ones "Knox" and "Shelby" (as my sweet daughter-in-law, Joanna, dubbed them) came flooding back.  Could this be one of the pair?  If so, that would explain the lack of fear of both humans and dogs.  I was the one who became "Mom" to the birds...the one who fed them, taught them to fly and how to forage.  Fear was lost due to the fact that I was family to them.  Not seeing the dog as a predator could come from the fact that Ms. Ez, the Bayou Dog (I sure miss that dog!), mothered the tiny birds as much as I did.  She was their protector.  Ms. Ez guarded the tiny birds as if they were her own pups.  That may have instilled in the young birds that dogs were helpful and not to be feared.

  Could this be one of the little ones from so long ago?  Had one survived all these years and returned to say "Hello"?  Most likely this was just a quirky incident that had nothing to do with my little foundlings but it warmed the heart enough to bring a smile.  Sometimes, it only takes a glimpse to brighten the day.

Illumination!

Sometimes things require a bit of illumination so one can see them as they truly are. Everything appears differently in the moonlight versus the early morning, glittery, sun versus the shadowy, setting sun. Indoor light..well, that is a whole different story. By the light of the moon objects take on an almost ethereal appearance. The mysteriousness of the night takes hold and each object is subjected to secretiveness and obscurity. Things loom much larger than in reality and a simple dead tree limb can quite believably turn into a monster! The late afternoon sun similarly casts long shadows that set fire to that imagination and again lend an eeriness to the forest floor or the Bayou marsh. Once free, that imagination can create all sorts of wild and fun entities that might inhabit such places! But..the rising sun..there things are clearly beautiful. The world is awakening from slumber and all seems to possess a certain beauty. Life is good.

The other morning, I was down under the grape arbor on the east side of the house when I spied such beauty! On this part of the Bayou, there stands an old, abandoned pier. Only a few posts remain and those are rotted and dilapidated. The pier itself is not a thing of beauty but I leave it stand. It is good for only one thing..a perch for herons, egrets and kingfishers. This morning, an egret reigned over the old pier. As I stood watching this fine specimen of a bird, the sun peeked over the horizon and sent rays of golden sunlight beaming through the marsh. The bird was illuminated with with a magnificent brilliance! Oh, my goodness! It was breathtaking! I stood watching this lone, sparkling-white bird for a good while. I was entirely agog at the sheerness of its plumes and the graceful outline of its body. Beauty that could only be seen at the break of dawn. I stood in amazement of a mere bird.

Then to add to this enchantment, one of my orphan mockingbirds, Shelby, flew in and landed on a branch near me. Her feathers immediately lit with the morning sun. She sat preening her feathers as if to make herself even more beautiful..to prepare for the new day. She fluffed out her feathers and stretched this way and that. Sweet Shelby..dear sweet Shelby!

After watching both birds for some time, I was almost disappointed that the sun continued to rise and bring a harshness to the world around me. Gone were the beauty illuminating beams..my birds were now just birds. The egret went on to find its breakfast on the mudflats and Shelby, well..Shelby still brightened my day as she followed close by me as I continued my walk. She definitely brings a smile to my face!

Ezzy the Bird Dog!

The baby mockingbirds that were dumped ..errr..entrusted to me, are doing well. They are growing by leaps and bounds and are eating me out of house and home. They have acquired names via Sweet Daughter-in-law. The larger of the two is Knox and the little one is Shelby. I was talking to her as she was on a road trip to Kentucky and mentioned that they needed names. I have no way of knowing if they are males or females or one of each, so the names needed to be androgynous. Later that day, she sent me a message suggesting the names. Reason behind the names? She was heading to Fort Knox to be with her friend who is expecting a bundle of joy soon..and Oldest Son is at Camp Shelby doing Army stuff. Hence the names..Knox and Shelby! I suppose having "Army" names might help when the birds are released..maybe make them a bit intimidating to any foes! I must admit, the names are a bit stronger sounding than say..Fluffy and Wiggles! So, Knox and Shelby have acquired names!

I always knew that Ezzy, the dog, like birds! She will sit for hours and watch them. She keeps the squirrels out of their feeders and even lets them drink from her water bowl. Today, however, she proved that birds are some of her favorite beings on Earth. She has taken a liking to Knox and Shelby. When she hears their loud, hungry chirps she gets antsy and wants to take care of the little squirts. At first, I was a bit apprehensive about letting her near the tiny tots. I was afraid for their safety..Ezzy is not particularly known for her grace. She might step on..sit on..or eat my little feathered friends. I usually take Knox and Shelby outside to acclimate them to their surroundings. They need to become familiar with the bushes and trees. They need to be able to find fresh water and food. So..outside we go! I placed the birds on the ground and sat beside them. They sort of wobbled around in the grass..looking not for food but at me. Their little heads looked straight up..their little beaks wide open. How in the world will they ever find food looking straight up into the sky?? Then along came Ezzy..big, ole oafish Ezzy. The dog with the hugest feet that I have ever seen...MY BIRDS! EEK! I was frightened that there would be a clash of species right on my front lawn, but I was so wrong. Ezzy very gently approached the little birds. She sniffed them, their mouths flew open, shrieks started coming from the tiny throats. Not shrieks of fear or pain but shrieks of hunger. I opened the container of crickets and started feeding the birds. Ezzy carefully laid down on the grass and watched. She did not move as the little birds edged nearer to her. Soon they were within inches of her face but still she remained motionless. I could just imagine my reaction had she grabbed one of the babies. She did not try to hurt Knox and Shelby..just the opposite..she guarded them. It was if she was intent on protecting her feathered charges..these were her babies, now! I am hoping that a bond does develop between dog and baby birds. I will feel much better about their odds of surviving knowing that a big, lug of a dog is watching out for them. My bird dog so loves her birds! Now if I could just get her to teach them to catch their own food..and to fly!