Renter’s Serenade

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!

You can hear the veery’s song at http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Veery/sounds.