My love for birding...where it really began...
Wandering around their yard one sunny afternoon, I decided to get a closer look at the birds which were frequenting the feeder. Most of them were a small bird with a black hat and striking white bars over their eyes. Their eyes were tiny yet piercing and it seemed impossible for them to remain still for even the slightest moment. They were rattling off a cacophony of "chickadee-dee-dee's" while constantly turning their bodies and moving their heads from side to side.
As I approached, slowly, not wanting to scare them away, I was surprised at how brave these tiny birds were. Were they just mocking me and saying "you're too small to be any threat to me" or were they so adamant about eating they knew a young girl wasn't going to keep them from their buffet? Whatever the reason, I continued to walk closer to the feeder and the Chickadees continued to poke their tiny beaks inside to grab a single black sunflower seed. They would then fly to a nearby branch where they would vigorously peck away at the shell and consume the meaty goodness inside.
Realizing just how close I could get to a wild bird I ran back to my grandma's house. The door was open to let the heat of the day inside so I bolted inside and ran downstairs to the cool basement. Opening the large tin that housed the black gold I scooped up a handful of sunflower seeds and ran back outside. The birds were still there. I approached slowly, my palm full of their favorite food and I inched closer and closer to the feeder until I stood only a foot away. I watched. The Chickadees turned their heads to the side and watched me from a safe distance, calculating my threat level. Deciding I wasn't a danger, they proceeded to fly onto the feeder, grab their snack and land on the nearest branch to eat.
I smiled. I opened up my palm with the seeds and held my hand as still as I could only inches from their smorgasbord. At first, they ignored me. Only rewarding my efforts with a sideways glance. There was the occasional "chickadee-dee" but other than that I was merely a distraction worth ignoring. Then, after what seemed like hours, it happened. A Chickadee, who had decided my open palm was more appealing than the full tube of seeds, landed on my thumb. He was so light I barely felt him but the gentle "tap tap" of his feet was enough to make me aware he was there. At first, he was hesitant...unsure...questioning. I didn't want to scare him away, I didn't even breathe and then he bent over, snatched up a single sunflower seed and flew to the nearest branch and pecked away. As the shell went flying and he scored his reward I couldn't help but think "I love birds."
