Bird Watching with a Flair

A good show


June 9, 2009 (Tuesday)
picture of CharlesI ran across a story by Lance K. Pugh, who saw a bluebird in his back yard. The bird seemed to be pulling a worm from the ground, but closer observation revealed it was a root or runner from a walnut that had been buried by a squirrel. The bird hopped, squawked, shook and tugged at the would-be worm. He put on such a good show that a cat from next door hopped up on the fence to watch. Up on a tree branch, a pair of squirrels watched intently and chattered like radio announcers at a horse race.
The sound of the squirrels got the attention of the family dog, who came to make sure one of his buried bones had not been discovered by the crazy bird. In a little while a couple more dogs were eyeing the action through a hole in the fence. All of a sudden a doe showed up and started eating the dandelions growing in the lawn. It was like she was enjoying pop corn as she watched the show.
Several neighbors stopped to see what was going on, and started making bets on the event. About that time, the squirrels started dropping walnuts near the bird.
Lance ran inside to get a few cookies and sardines. Everyone but the cat enjoyed the cookies, but he remained true to his feline nature and loved the sardines.
Lance has given “bird watching” a new meaning. What a show!
Read his column here.
High on Adventure