Spring is in the air...
What are YOU looking at?? A little privacy please !!!!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Sunday, April 3, 2011
How to identify a birdbrain
I met a woman at the hairdresser recently who was so excited to meet me she could hardly contain herself.
Now I don't believe it was due to my magnetic personality....but rather because we shared bird stories while being coiffured. In a whisper she would tell me things about herself and I would nod and confirm that I am the same. She`d confide, 'I have a heater in my bird bath'...(me too...two of them!). Excited, she would add, 'I have a little pond for the birds'...(me too). Her eyes would widen...'I have bird feeders all over the place'....(me too)...and on and on it went as we both share a love of birds, butterflies, flowers, and wildlife. By the time I was leaving, she had learned my name from the hairdresser and called goodbye to me, saying wistfully that she hoped we could meet again soon. Because we are of 'the same kind' I believe we could be the best of friends.
I'm not saying it takes one to know one....but there are ways to tell when one is obsessed with birds to the point that others think they need therapy. Here are some of the signs....
1) People who come and go from the birdbrain's house will be advised of the appropriate time to come in the house or leave. If there is, in particular, a cardinal feeding at a feeder outside the door, no one will be allowed to either leave their vehicle to come into the house, or allowed to exit until the cardinal has finished eating and has flown off. Other birds may also be allowed to remain undisturbed, depending on the decision of the birdbrain.
2) Supper may not be ready when the family arrives home, but the birds will have been fed and watered.
3) If a family member calls to chat with the birdbrain, they will usually first ask....'Are you watching birds right now?'
4) Birdbrains will keep an eye on the feeders because if they are empty, the birds, squirrels, and chipmunks will peer in the windows as if to say, 'We're all outta grub here! We're waiting!'. Birds will even land on the feeder while still in the birdbrain's hand if the bird feels the birdbrain has not responded quick enough.
5) Those birdbrains with severe therapy needs have even been known to drop everything and run outside to shoo hawks away from 'her/his' birds. Hawks need to eat, but the disillusioned birdbrain may actually believe the hawk should dine at some other establishment other than her/his own, almost believing the birds to belong to her/him. The same reaction applies to neighbourhood cats, who contrary to hawks, do not need to eat birds.
6) The front hall floor of the foyer of a birdbrain`s home will inevitably have plenty of birdseed scattered across it as people track it in on their shoes while walking past the feeders on their way into the home. Hopefully that is all they have tracked in. I have heard that some visitors to birdbrains' homes often live for weeks with nightmares of The Birds scattering in all directions and coming to attack them. Strangely sad.
7) Birdbrains will invest in 1-2 birdbath heaters for the winter months to ensure there is plenty of unfrozen water for drinks and baths for the birds (and squirrels).
8) When the birdbrain brings in the outdoor Christmas bows and lights to be stored away, many of them need to be discarded or cleaned due to.....white stuff..... (not snow) on them.
9) When everyone else has put away their snow shovels in spring, the birdbrain is diligently shovelling 6-12 inches of niger seed out from below the birdfeeders lest it suffocate everything beneath it that is trying to grow.
10) In springtime, when others are cleaning up their yards of sticks and brush and cutting down last year's perennials (if they left them standing through the winter for the birds to eat), the birdbrain sees much of this stuff as great nesting material and rather than discarding it, spreads it out for the birds to scrounge through. Of course, that might not be enough choice for the birds, so the birdbrain will also supply yarn and/or dog hair for the birds to gather for use in their nests.
11) Most people remove nests immediately if a bird sets up living quarters in close proximity to a house. The birdbrain, however excitedly sets up tripods and cameras to film the action. Of course bird identification books, camera, and binoculars are always at the ready near the windows.
12) No one pays particular attention to the robins who are hopping about when there is still snow on the ground, nor thinks about the fact that they are not locating any worms on the still frozen ground. The birdbrain however, will daily slice up grapes and spread them on the ground along with raisins to ensure the robins have some food to gobble up until the ground thaws.
13) It should be noted that a birdbrain wouldnever hardly ever be late for work simply because they were replenishing birdbaths, feeders, and slicing grapes for robins before leaving for work.
15) Finally, while there are many more oddities in the life of the birdbrain....I leave you with this heartwarming story on video. It's interesting that a birdbrain sees a Youtube video such as this one below, and feels a kinship to those who `walk with birds`......and worries about what will become of Maria.....and would build a pond for her in a heartbeat. It's sad, but the birdbrain often does not recognize his/her 'illness'. Do you know anyone like this?? Me neither. Now while you watch this video, please excuse me while I go and cut up some grapes....to eat...along with someworms raisins.
Now I don't believe it was due to my magnetic personality....but rather because we shared bird stories while being coiffured. In a whisper she would tell me things about herself and I would nod and confirm that I am the same. She`d confide, 'I have a heater in my bird bath'...(me too...two of them!). Excited, she would add, 'I have a little pond for the birds'...(me too). Her eyes would widen...'I have bird feeders all over the place'....(me too)...and on and on it went as we both share a love of birds, butterflies, flowers, and wildlife. By the time I was leaving, she had learned my name from the hairdresser and called goodbye to me, saying wistfully that she hoped we could meet again soon. Because we are of 'the same kind' I believe we could be the best of friends.
I'm not saying it takes one to know one....but there are ways to tell when one is obsessed with birds to the point that others think they need therapy. Here are some of the signs....
1) People who come and go from the birdbrain's house will be advised of the appropriate time to come in the house or leave. If there is, in particular, a cardinal feeding at a feeder outside the door, no one will be allowed to either leave their vehicle to come into the house, or allowed to exit until the cardinal has finished eating and has flown off. Other birds may also be allowed to remain undisturbed, depending on the decision of the birdbrain.
2) Supper may not be ready when the family arrives home, but the birds will have been fed and watered.
3) If a family member calls to chat with the birdbrain, they will usually first ask....'Are you watching birds right now?'
4) Birdbrains will keep an eye on the feeders because if they are empty, the birds, squirrels, and chipmunks will peer in the windows as if to say, 'We're all outta grub here! We're waiting!'. Birds will even land on the feeder while still in the birdbrain's hand if the bird feels the birdbrain has not responded quick enough.
5) Those birdbrains with severe therapy needs have even been known to drop everything and run outside to shoo hawks away from 'her/his' birds. Hawks need to eat, but the disillusioned birdbrain may actually believe the hawk should dine at some other establishment other than her/his own, almost believing the birds to belong to her/him. The same reaction applies to neighbourhood cats, who contrary to hawks, do not need to eat birds.
6) The front hall floor of the foyer of a birdbrain`s home will inevitably have plenty of birdseed scattered across it as people track it in on their shoes while walking past the feeders on their way into the home. Hopefully that is all they have tracked in. I have heard that some visitors to birdbrains' homes often live for weeks with nightmares of The Birds scattering in all directions and coming to attack them. Strangely sad.
7) Birdbrains will invest in 1-2 birdbath heaters for the winter months to ensure there is plenty of unfrozen water for drinks and baths for the birds (and squirrels).
8) When the birdbrain brings in the outdoor Christmas bows and lights to be stored away, many of them need to be discarded or cleaned due to.....white stuff..... (not snow) on them.
9) When everyone else has put away their snow shovels in spring, the birdbrain is diligently shovelling 6-12 inches of niger seed out from below the birdfeeders lest it suffocate everything beneath it that is trying to grow.
10) In springtime, when others are cleaning up their yards of sticks and brush and cutting down last year's perennials (if they left them standing through the winter for the birds to eat), the birdbrain sees much of this stuff as great nesting material and rather than discarding it, spreads it out for the birds to scrounge through. Of course, that might not be enough choice for the birds, so the birdbrain will also supply yarn and/or dog hair for the birds to gather for use in their nests.
11) Most people remove nests immediately if a bird sets up living quarters in close proximity to a house. The birdbrain, however excitedly sets up tripods and cameras to film the action. Of course bird identification books, camera, and binoculars are always at the ready near the windows.
12) No one pays particular attention to the robins who are hopping about when there is still snow on the ground, nor thinks about the fact that they are not locating any worms on the still frozen ground. The birdbrain however, will daily slice up grapes and spread them on the ground along with raisins to ensure the robins have some food to gobble up until the ground thaws.
13) It should be noted that a birdbrain would
15) Finally, while there are many more oddities in the life of the birdbrain....I leave you with this heartwarming story on video. It's interesting that a birdbrain sees a Youtube video such as this one below, and feels a kinship to those who `walk with birds`......and worries about what will become of Maria.....and would build a pond for her in a heartbeat. It's sad, but the birdbrain often does not recognize his/her 'illness'. Do you know anyone like this?? Me neither. Now while you watch this video, please excuse me while I go and cut up some grapes....to eat...along with some
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