A GATHERING OF SPARROWS
Every morning when I open the patio door to check the backyard, the first thing I would hear is an initial chirping of one sparrow. A look out bird, I would say. The yard is still an empty expanse of grass with freshly fallen brown leaves from the big tree where the bird feeder is hanging. I know then that my pets are hungry and they are waiting for their feed. I would fill up a cup with bird seed then go out and empty the contents into the bird feeder. Then back inside the house..I can not stay outside to watch them feast. For some reason, these sparrows just do not come out when they see a human watching them. Then from inside the glass patio door, I see them coming out from the bushes. One, two then a multitude would appear from nowhere. The first four would find a perch in the feeder. The rest would be down on the ground waiting for some seeds to fall out. Soon there would be about 20-30 "brownies" chirping and pecking their hearts away!.
Sparrows are mentioned in the Bible. These birds must have existed even then..."There is providence in the fall of one sparrow.." or something like that.
According to birdlore, the sparrows are originally from the Old World. Then some Europeans brought them over to the New World. From then, these multiplied to a point that some people in the US started advocating for their elimination because they say, they are pushing away the native American songbirds away..Which is true.
Sad to say, nowadays, I seldom see Blue Jays, Cardinals or orioles visiting my backyard. Before I started feeding the sparrows, many robins would come and visit my place, looking for a worm or two to pick. One spring, a mother robin hatched some eggs in the pine tree in front of our house. I also saw several times some cardinals ( their red feathers remind me of the mythical firebird ) checking out what form of nourishment is available in my place.
When I started putting some bird feeders in front of the house, then more sparrows would come. The same batch in the backyard would just fly over to the front yard, squabbling and pecking at each other as usual. Plus they would crap on Miggie's Hosta plants ( much to her consternation ) . I would say, "well people would say ' oh there is a new breed of Hostas with white spotted leaves! ' ". She thinks the crack is not funny.
A friend told me, " do not feed them during Summer..there is too much food for them around. Then they would become too lazy." I wish I could and then I would.
But then I have grown to love the company of birds. Especially I am alone most of the time in the house. I enjoy watching them do their bird antics. I am fascinated ( and a tad envious) of these creatures because of their ability to fly. We homo sapiens just confined ourselves to walking or driving our cars.
But then, as someone said "If men are meant to fly, God could have given them wings.."
In the meantime, I just keep watching them fly about, hither and yonder against the brilliant blue sky...
--VICTORIO COSTES
