Of birds and men

She was roused from her sleep by her husband.  Bird sighting alert! A hawk just landed on their backyard deck.  She immediately scrambled out of bed and tiptoed to the kitchen window. They did not exchanged word for fear of startling the magnificent bird, both of them impervious to the fact that their house was insulated from the din of the outside world.

They stood there in awe, hoping this feathered creature would stay for a little much longer. And it did! He was  in for the hunt, looking for his prey amongst the various rodents that create a ruckus at this time of day in the small expanse of green.  

The territorial cardinal

When did this  morning ritual of  bird watching started, two, three or four months ago? They can not recall, what they remembered were the joys of watching the cadre of  sparrows feeding, the brilliant scarlet red of the matured cardinals pecking on the hapless sparrows,  the soft coos of the graceful mourning doves, the swelling breasts of the chickadees, the distinct ticking calls of the juncos and the incredible all - direction- flight of the hummingbirds .  Occasionally, screeching hawk like cry of the blue jays breaks the usual cacophony emanating from their yard.  The visit from one of the members of the passerine birds gave a touch of Gothic flair on their avian sanctuary that when she saw them, she could not help but vociferated  "Never--- nevermore (Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven)

Robin's bright red breast never fails to attract their attention, but they won't go to the feeder preferring the berries of the invasive honeysuckle bushes. Why  would they come here in the first place if they would not feast on the buffet of  sunflower, dried cherries,  wheat and every imaginable nuts supplied by their two legged human friends.  Alas, maybe they are here to participate in the duels of tweeting, warbling, chirping and  trilling occurring every morning orchestrated by an unseen master.  

The coven of the sparrows

Sipping her coffee on the kitchen, entertained by the flying living things,  she can not help but be thankful to the Divine Providence for giving her the privilege of revelling in these untainted luxury that only He can make possible. And her cat partook in the morning ritual unaware that she should be stalking these creatures for her meal.

Robert Frost  homage to the birds:

        

        It could not have come down to us so far,

        Through the interstices of things ajar

        On the long bead chain of repeated birth,

        To be a bird while we are men on earth,

The most lethal bird predator - our cat Pinay enjoying her untouchable  preys