We’re
being treated today to almost constant music from a tiny bird who appears to be
our tenant. Though I repaired, repainted and mounted a birdhouse from the deck
two years ago, till now it’s been a disappointment. Previously, a tree swallow showed interest,
but his mate insisted on nesting in a tree in our neighbor’s yard. My husband
suggested I post a sign on the house, “For rent—cheap,” or maybe cheep.
But the
new tenants do so much more than cheep.
This
bird’s song is a trill—just hearing it makes one happy. He sang from a nearby
tree all last evening and made frequent trips to and from the house. I can’t see inside, so I have to assume
there’s a lady bird there, and perhaps little ones? It seems late in the season to me, but why
else would he be so attentive?
Veery sitting on the Bird House |
My
husband says we should be charging rent. But it seems to me that his lovely
song is more than ample payment for his one-room flat.
There’s
a wonderful website, http://www. whatbird.com, that I used to try to learn our
senenader’s name. I checked “New Jersey,” “Small size,” “brown,” “all purpose
beak” and “forest habitat” and it came up with a Veery. Our bird looks a bit
deeper red-brown and a little more slender than their picture, but his song is
very like their veery recordings and, apparently, eastern veery have a deeper
color than others.
Another
veery recently showed itself and the two are flitting about, perhaps looking
for their favorite foods, bugs and fruit. Their presence may explain why there
are no wild blackberries left for us on the vine beneath our deck.
The website says that
our veeries spent the winter in Brazil. What travelers they are!
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