Thursday, August 10, 2006

I just had a terrible dream, no it’s a nightmare. Waking up confused, I went to the bath room to wash up and make myself sober, and went downstairs to have lunch. Of course, as usual, I am home alone again and trying to figure out what will make this day sunny in a cloudy sky. Then, I heard some chirping and hopping like little feet touching against galvanized iron. So, I lowered the blinders and there, a battalion of war birds flew into the air, scattered and terrified at what the intruder might be. It was two days ago business is dry; now my restaurant is the hit of the town!

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

It’s been two days now since I placed bird seeds on the feeder, and still no birds. There are two probable reasons: 1. those birds are so stupid to distinguish bird seeds from coconuts, Or 2. They are smarter than me. I even closed up the blinds not to distract them of any movements, and even turned off the lights for them not to spot me even my shadow. Another theory is that the location of the feeder is not appropriate. I usually see them perching beneath the tank structure looking for something to eat. It’s like business. I opened a restaurant for birds and didn’t like the location, for birds do not usually flock there at the balcony, instead they have this flight pattern that passes just beneath the water tank, maybe that’s why they never see the feeder. Ok, maybe it’s just my mind or they just outsmarted me.

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Well, I guess patience is a vulture. Not even a vulture. I got fascinated with birds when I was waiting for something (I couldn’t really remember), then I saw two birds outside the window on our star apple tree. It was raining and saw this bird sharpening its beak and cleaning its feathers, drying it by shaking the droplets off, and the other one is just quietly perched on a branch very still, without movement as the wind blows wildly behind and leaves scattering by the violent weather. The bird looking puffed up by its feathers, like someone wearing a sweater, was looking against head-to-head with the terrible onslaught ahead. This bird has guts; has trust in someone or something without any fear of what lies in the future having tranquility and a gentle spirit.

Monday, August 07, 2006

Finally, here it is: bird seeds. As the name implies, bird seeds are for birds. Birds suppose to eat these seeds in order to live and fly, and yet those birds are flying not to the seeds but away from the seeds. There are some strange phenomena that I should try to understand here that not even science could answer. I can see bird droppings everywhere and that means birds perch near the feeder. So, I am left stumped. As the book says that it would take some time for it to attract birds, but maybe the word that should be used is “sometimes” not “some time.” Although, it explains that the birds need to get familiar with the appearance of the feeder since it’s is quite a unfamiliar structure, and I just placed it just days ago. Ok, it’s true that patience is a vulture, um I mean, virtue.

Sunday, August 06, 2006

Ok, it’s getting a little frustrating, for not a single bird is in sight. The feeder is not attracting any bird or even a house mouse. The only animals the feeder is effective are ants and flies. Today, I checked our refrigerator for an alternative food which I can use, and what I found is Papaya. Since these kinds of bird species like seeds, therefore I scooped up some Papaya seeds and placed it on the feeder. After waiting for eons, those cute favorite animals appear like the flu instead of birds. Raising my hands in surrender, I decided to buy seeds, bird seeds. If this doesn’t work, I’ll get a hunting gun and shoot every bird in sight (hehe).

Friday, August 4, 2006

I made a little research on birds, specifically garden birds. As advised by professionals, observing birds at your home garden is the best thing to start birding. Yesterday, I did some shopping like buying non-branded binoculars, cheap but reasonable. Then I prepared my analog cam corder since it is easier to capture wild birds than using a digital camera because birds fly away when you are sighted and by slight movements. So, I decided to place it behind the window with blinders low enough not disturb the birds. I took a wooden container where I placed mashed apple skins and seeds, strapped it to the terrace ledge, if I'm not mistaken by the term, got a bin put some water shallow enough not to drown the birds. It was 4:35PM and waited. Experts say not to expect immediate results. It will take time for them to discover their new found restaurant as they say. The feeder should not be hanging where the wind could blow the seeds or swaying. It should be on a stable foundation. A funny moment happened when I was tying the feeder to the metal structure when I was using a straw crochet cord used for knitting since I think it's able enough for holding up the feeder, the wind blew and it rolled all the way down the roof, which happen the same thing with toilet papers.

As I was reading a book on the terrace waiting for some bird to fly by, a bird really flew by not to the feeder but to the santol tree. Yup, a Pied Triller. I never moved a muscle or an inch and started observing. Funny thing was I think I am the one being observed by the bird as it held its head to the side, flying randomly from branch to branch keeping a good distance from me. First thing I thought was there is a nearby nest there since I observed that some birds of that type usually fly by there frequently. Tomorrow maybe I'll take a closer look.

Wednesday, August 2, 2006

This is the second day working on my experiment. I decided not to use a tray, and placed the pop-corn along the metal structure under the tank where I observed some birds usually perch. I waited for about 30 minutes and two birds flew and perched near the food. Unfortunately, they never had any interest on the pop-corn. Maybe, although this is my assumption, that pop-corn is not the best food to use. To prove this, I would try different food. This experiment might be a failure to birds, but when I threw the food below where Prunus stays, as I went downstairs and check, I saw my dog already chewing those pop-corn. Note: Before at that moment, I noticed that ants were feasting on the pop-corn already, and a fly near by.

Tuesday, August 1, 2006

Today, I started making my own experiment of studying birds. I used a pet bottle as a tray and placed few pop corn kernels. It was drizzling that afternoon and birds can be seen flying around the house. I placed the food at the balcony near a star-apple tree then waited. After fifteen minutes, a bird flew by but never saw the tray or had any interest. After thirty minutes, still no luck so I decided to move the tray to another location where birds can have a view of the tray, which is beside a tree under a roof where it is dry. After thirty minutes, still no luck. Out of curiosity, I boot-up my computer and used a sound clip of birds chirping, with a thought maybe that would lure the birds to the tray with food. After ten minutes, a bird flew by near the tray, also curious of the bird sounds, but in dismay it never saw the tray. The next move is putting more pop-corn to the tray for visibility. After ten minutes, a bird flew by again perched on the steel bar foundation of a water tank where I placed the tray. Though, they never touched the food.

Monday, July 31, 2006

Today is the beginning of a new chapter of my life. Everyday are pages waiting to be written in eagerness and unfettered anticipation. There is this moment of surprise but sometimes not.

As usual, every Monday my folks gather with their loved ones to have an open and mutual discussion about themselves, I mean about the scriptures. Laughing hard downstairs like there is a bachelor's party or maybe someone won the lottery, who knows? It's about cash made out of paper and ink just like the scriptures. The other will make you rich and the other will make you richer, well at least in heaven. “I am trying to reach you, in heaven.” What a catchy phrase for a chorus part of a song I've written and hopefully will be forgotten.

I saw an article in Yahoo regarding birds. These past few days, I got drawn by the joy in watching birds, aves I mean not brunette birds (haha). I am surprised to see that there is someone in this world who even cares about watching birds, no matter how trivial or petty it is. This person even told everyone that for her, watching birds is not such a waste of time like other people would think. Pied Triller, I learned. Someone took a picture of a bird in a cemetery, and surely it's not vultures like in the town area.

Prunus, our dog, which is a shi tzu breed, is barking again not because of strangers walking pass our house but because I forgot to give his dinner, and it did remind me (again). He's even barking at those roosters on our neighbors parking lot, garden, resting place, bodega, which they cleaned up and put some imagination to it like parking their motor boat. Now, it looks like our place has its own small park beside our house and across the street beside the basketball court. It's helping those birds to have a refuge, since it is storm season.

I thought this day would be dry, but God has other plans. Really love the weather, it’s cool and feel really comfortable, relaxed and healthy perhaps. I hope man could find a way to gather the rain drops and solve our depleted source of clean water.