Yard Birds

I've long had a desire to live in a park. When I first had this dream, all I wanted were tall trees casting long afternoon shadows across lush, green lawns. Now that I've discovered this obsession with winged wildlife, I love the concept of park living because of the birds.

This is the third or fourth year we've had catbirds. They are cheerful little fellows with complicated songs. When they aren't singing, their call sounds a bit like a cat's meow, hence their name.

Hiding in this tree is a male Baltimore Oriole. He sings a lot, but rarely poses for photos. Other years, our orioles have hung out in the poplars, but this guy prefers the birch.

There are drawbacks, however. These are the cedar waxwings who only come because they want to eat the fruit from my bushes. Having no patience, they are willing to eat the fruit while it is green. It is difficult to compete with that, since I'm fussy about waiting till the fruit is ripe. (Notice the masks. One of the many birds that try to keep their identities a secret.)