Birdcalling

I guess there’s something about getting older that makes you zero in on earthly things you’ve been taking for granted. While I am still no one’s definition of Nature Girl, I’ve recently been focusing on (at least registering) the symphony of sounds in our yard. In addition to the usually pleasant tones of Aiden and Peter’s voices at play, or Stevo’s colorful language when the BBQ grill coals don’t heat up fast enough, I discovered that there is plenty of noise from actual BIRDS on the Seyfried property!! SINGING birds!! As I assume these chirpers and trillers have been making music for a while now, the missing link has been me, the would-be listener.

But I’m making up for lost time, thanks to a terrific picture book I bought for the boys, The Little Book of Backyard Bird Songs. In addition to full color photos and great descriptions about the local feathered friends, there are buttons to push that play their individual calls. As of today I can distinguish between the cardinal’s and the blue jay’s voices (the cardinal is very tuneful; the blue jay sounds just like an obnoxious heckler at a comedy club). We have a number of mourning doves hanging around, and “mourning” is an accurate name for them. Their cooing is indeed plaintive! I’m tempted to hire them to play my funeral, fluttering around the church and inspiring intense grief from the gathered, much like the hired mourners of old. With my luck, however, they wouldn’t make a sound, and would just anoint everybody with bird poop, so maybe I’ll rethink that plan. I’m still slightly confused between the calls of the house wren and the robin, but I’m sure that’ll come clear with a bit more study of my--I mean, the boys’--little book.

Animal communication is fascinating. Julie and Rose tell me that when they bring their dogs together for a Brooklyn walk, Ruby (who is normally silent and undemonstrative in the extreme), runs in happy circles, tail wagging wildly, when Lumi rounds the corner and comes into view. Is Lumi aware of Ruby’s rare display of emotion? I’m guessing so, on some level. And of course there are many touching stories of chimps who use sign language (I think they only do that with Jane Goodall, but I might be mistaken), elephant babies who pine forever for their lost moms, etc. So people have company in the talky/feely department!! Who knew? (I didn’t, or at least never gave it much thought).

Lest you think I am becoming the female equivalent of Doctor Doolittle, rest assured I am not. I have no ambitions to “talk with the animals,” and plan to chat mainly with human beings. But enjoying the orchestra of birds in my own backyard, and imagining their rich treetop conversations, charms me, and reminds me to pay more attention to the natural world in general.

Off to the deck with my coffee, ready for another concert performance. This is pretty cool!