Chapter 1:
Birds of a Feather : The Characters
Welcome to the Open Sky Theater! Today we are going to meet some of the characters in our story. But let's not get ahead of ourselves...our story takes place in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains in a white flowering dogwood tree in a humble backyard. The territory is heavily disputed; the ideal branch, the shade of the leaves, the best access to the yummy goodness. And on this stage, 10 birdbrains all trying to get the best spot. But there is more to the story...thieves, annoying siblings, and a large, growling monster called the Machine! It all causes drama on the Dogwood Tree.
Let's meet our cast...
Up first is our biggest star. Frequenting the suet feeder, occasionally pounding on the metal chimney and an all around intrusive neighbor, meet Mr. Flicker, the Northern Flicker! He has a love/hate relationship with the family who provides him with his caged in suet, dominating the feeder whenever he visits, sending our next star into a verbal frenzy. Whenever he arrives he makes sure to keep one eye on the kitchen window where he has seen faces peering out. Those faces always say the same thing when he arrives, "Look who's back."
Our next birdbrain is a chattering guest to the Dogwood Tree. Usually accompanied by multiple family members, she is a small, cute, bird with a big attitude. I'm pleased to introduce Esmerelda, the Chestnut-backed Chickadee! Being a dainty chickadee, she prefers to not eat the same thing every visit, sometimes visiting the suet feeder, other times plucking a black sunflower seed from the other, or just gleaming insects off the tree. Esmerelda is also not a big fan of the lawn monster. She gets very agitated at the annoying featherless creatures pushing around the noisy Machine that gives the grass a haircut and destroys the cute daisy flowers. She isn't too fond of the Machine. 
Her cousin is our next star of the Open Sky Theater. Making the Dogwood Tree a daily routine, this birdbrain is braver, more vocal and just as cute, introducing Peanut, the Black-capped Chickadee! Having no fear of the featherless creatures that roam the yard, bask their featherless bodies on the deck and own a furry, black four legged creature that enjoys digging up the flower garden, Peanut and his family and friends party hard at the Dogwood Tree. Small in size, enormous in character and attitude, Peanut makes sure he always has a place at the Dogwood Tree.
Another stellar star of the Dogwood Tree and the 4th out of the 5 characters we are going to meet in this chapter, is Stella, the Steller's Jay! A royal crown of ebony feathers and two fierce, royal blue stripes, Stella takes center stage on the Dogwood Tree. When she glides in and lands, the branches shake under her and all of the birds scatter to make way for the queen. Wishing she could get her big head into the suet feeder, Stella merely surveys the scene and then glides down to the grass, picking up the leftovers. The queen is put in her place by the 1inch by 1inch square cages protecting the goodies. She makes sure the featherless creatures don't get away with this, giving them her trademark "evil eye" whenever she sees them.
Our final birdbrain of this chapter is a frequent visitor to the Dogwood Tree throughout the year, sun, rain, snow or ice, Pete, the Dark-eyed Junco braves all weather! However, lacking the delicate touches of the chickadees and the finches, Pete prefers to scavenge for leftovers on the ground, occasionally fitting his almost too big body into the suet feeder. But Pete is shy. He seeks shelter when the pressure of social interaction becomes too much, flicking his white tail bars and chipping, as he flies to the closest shrub. The featherless creatures are just as frightening and any time they get too near, Pete is gone. He hides in the shadows, keeping two, dark, beady eyes on the Dogwood Tree, waiting for the coast to clear.
Another stellar star of the Dogwood Tree and the 4th out of the 5 characters we are going to meet in this chapter, is Stella, the Steller's Jay! A royal crown of ebony feathers and two fierce, royal blue stripes, Stella takes center stage on the Dogwood Tree. When she glides in and lands, the branches shake under her and all of the birds scatter to make way for the queen. Wishing she could get her big head into the suet feeder, Stella merely surveys the scene and then glides down to the grass, picking up the leftovers. The queen is put in her place by the 1inch by 1inch square cages protecting the goodies. She makes sure the featherless creatures don't get away with this, giving them her trademark "evil eye" whenever she sees them.
Our final birdbrain of this chapter is a frequent visitor to the Dogwood Tree throughout the year, sun, rain, snow or ice, Pete, the Dark-eyed Junco braves all weather! However, lacking the delicate touches of the chickadees and the finches, Pete prefers to scavenge for leftovers on the ground, occasionally fitting his almost too big body into the suet feeder. But Pete is shy. He seeks shelter when the pressure of social interaction becomes too much, flicking his white tail bars and chipping, as he flies to the closest shrub. The featherless creatures are just as frightening and any time they get too near, Pete is gone. He hides in the shadows, keeping two, dark, beady eyes on the Dogwood Tree, waiting for the coast to clear.
Stay tuned to meet the remaining 5 birdbrains of the Dogwood Tree in Chapter 2!
