Aviary

Well, I discovered that I live attached to an aviary. This morning as I was sitting on my sun porch I could heard the chirping of the birds, and then I looked out and there was a plethora of bird species flitting from tree to tree. I know this pictures doesn't show you which species, and don't be confused by the pine cones in the tree. There are three birds at the top, and one near the bottom.

These birds are small birds, so I am assuming they are babies just getting their wings, and I also base that assumption on the fact that they would only flit from tree to tree, a very little space to go because the trees in the yard are very close together.

Why am I bringing this up and what has this to do with Runnemede?

My mother loved birds, second to her flowers. And while I thought this was just another one of her "things" I didn't really connect with it as my brother did. In fact, my brother was so connected to the love of birds, that several years ago while on a bird hunt in a wooded area near his home in Indiana, he saw a bird he hadn't seen in, well, forever. And to get a better view, he decided to climb a tree. At that time he was over 50 years old. Fifty-year-old men do NOT climb trees. But up the tree he when, and then down the tree he fell. He got hurt quite badly, and still suffers from that fall. However his love of birds, which he got from my mother hasn't dwindled.

Mom used to take us to the woods and as she would point out plants, she would also point out birds to us, naming them. She had several bird identification books in her small bookcase in the dining room and would peruse them frequently. BecauseI was able to identify several of the birds I saw today, I'm glad my mom took me and my brothers and sister to woods and taught us the names of the birds.

Finally, for my brother's information, this morning I saw the following birds: cardinal, red-winged blackbird, wren, morning dove, woodpecker, blue bird, blue jay, oriole, swift, and tanager. I did not see any robins. But we don't see many robins around here.

ttfn