Remember this guy?
Remember how he built a nest in my chimney and shacked up with some girl red-winged blackbird and had kids a couple of months ago?
And remember how he wouldn’t let me mow my lawn without chewing me out and flying around my head?
Well…apparently, he and his wife really love each other…because they’re at it again.
Only this time it’s worse.
Actually, he’s never really left me alone when I mow the backyard. He just lightened up. He’d jaw at me for awhile and then go find something else to do…then come back and jaw at me some more. At least I had a break.
But a few days ago, when I mowed the lawn…for some reason he was determined to make me go away. I don’t know if they’ve had some scares up there in chimney-land, but this time I appear to be more of a threat. He never took a break. He flew closer than ever (without actually making contact). He was more bold.
You try mowing your lawn with that going on. Distracting and infuriating. I couldn’t reach his kids even if I wanted to. I decided to try to get him to back off.
So one time when he was hovering overhead…I threw a tennis ball into the air.
I knew I wouldn’t be able to hit him, nor did I intend to. I just hoped to at least create a larger perimeter so I could have a little peace.
At first, it worked. He flew away, suddenly, startled that I’d actually reacted. He continued to jaw, but at a distance.
But apparently, (duh) he interpreted that as more of a threat. The perimeter didn’t last long.
He came back. And this time he brought the relatives.
The next time he came swarming around…his mate came along. So now I had two of them jawing and swirling overhead.
But that’s not all….you’ll think I’m lying…
Within seconds, there were four other birds, of some entirely different species, circling overhead right along with the red-winged blackbirds. Six in all.
I dunno…maybe these other birds were just curious to see what all the noise was about. Or maybe this was a gang from another neighborhood, come to join the rumble. They weren’t really acting aggressively like the others…just flying around overhead, like, “Yeah, you better listen to our cousins the red-wings, or else.”
It was freaky. Images of Hitchcock movies come to mind.
Maybe I need a raincoat when I mow the lawn.
So…I guess I’ve started a feud. Now when I come out back, I can’t even get two steps away from the covered patio before two very loud, obnoxious birds start demanding what the crap I am doing in my own backyard.
I’m going to barbecue later today on the patio. I wonder how that’s going to go. Maybe I should bring some extra spatulas to throw.
No, never mind…I already tried that tactic, didn’t I?
Stupid red-winged blackbirds.
Wayward Son
Musician. Composer. Recovering perfectionist. Minister-in-transition. Lover of puns. Hijacker of rock song references. Questioner of the status quo.
I'm not really a rebel. Just a sincere Christ-follower with a thirst for significance that gets me into trouble. My quest has taken me over the fence of institutional Christianity. Here are some of my random thoughts along the way. Read along, join in the conversation. Just be nice.
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Well, this doesn't have anything to do with the current blog…I could tell you about my woodpecker…and I work nights, so try to sleep with a woodpecker building a nest in the wall of your bedroom all day. So I feel your feathered pain.
Anyway, I wanted to coment on your Women and Church posts…but you closed the comments. (and I see why.) But sometimes I get to wondering if Christianity is really for celebate single men…and I wonder what I am supposed to be…in Christ.
Thanks for exploring that.
Completely off topic. On politics, recesions and America falling away from God…if more people come to God in the bad times…and God wants more people to come to him, doesn't it make sense things will get worse…as part of the plan. I have always felt that the end days would be to the benifit of God…that the instant when the most possible souls are bound for heaven…that is the end. a minute later and that one would be lost…a minute sooner and that one wouldn't have made the choice yet…
Sorry for all the elipses…that is the way I speak also.
We had the same kind of situation with a mocking bird at the old house. He was protecting the family at all costs.
One day as I stood with my fists on my hips listening to him tell me how it was going down in the back yard my dog sauntered over to see what I was doing. He listened with me as the man of the house told us off. My dog was a big old German shepherd and paid very little attention to the bird, even when he took dives at him.
I guess he got rather fed up with listening to me getting told off in my back yard because he let that bird have it with a rush of barks and jumps. That bird was not a happy guy and decided that living in the bush by the house wasn’t a wise place to be. I missed them when they packed up and left. But the dog felt the need to get my back and protect me.