Tag: mockingbird

Mantis Praying

At dusk, I am in the yard with the cats. I go to take a photo of our newest transplant, the lambs ear. It has a dead leaf on it, so I reach down to pull it off and the would-be dead leaf jumps around and tells me to back up! It is the tiniest white praying mantis that I have ever met- and very assertive. He is here to watch the fairies play.

I hear a clucking. It gets closer. I look up and on the block wall is a quail with his dingle dangling. I walk over to him and say, “You better scram; I have cats here.” He turns around and shuffles the other way.

Every morning I feed the cats and take my meds. Now I’ve added rinse the sprouts to this routine. Today is the second day and the buckwheat and oats are sporting roots, so they are ready to taste. I will get fresh fruit and raw milk at the farmers market tomorrow, but in the meantime I soak dried ginger, goji and cherries in a cup of warm coconut milk with honey and cinnamon. Then I pour it over a bowl of these fresh baby buckwheat and oat sprouts. Oh yeah!

As I sit and eat, the mockingbird visits my newly created birdbath. It’s a Terra Cotta drip tray with rocks and it’s refilled by the sprinklers! I put it under the lemon tree where there’s shade and a nice rock perch. The mockingbird is visiting again and again this morning, each time taking several drinks of water. It makes me so happy to see my buddy!

Bird Housing

Mockingbird in the palm

There are lots of birds on our block: curve billed thrashers galore, mockingbird, hummingbirds and a handful of starlings. Mostly they nest in the palm and saguaro next door.

When mockingbird is singing atop the palm tree, we hear it all through our house.

Hummingbird perches on the ocotillo and visits our aloe blossoms daily. Their nest is below the crown of the palm tree and they land on the dried seed shoots that hang from it.

Today the landscapers came and skinned the palm tree. I am so sad to think of the birds being homeless now!

Skinning the palm tree

I went to a friend’s house to play tennis. There were mockingbirds singing in the trees and a hummingbird perched atop the tree behind me. It gave me a new perspective on my local bird cohabitants. Instead of the individual, I connect with the universal mockingbird energy. I know they are all over the valley, busy with the task of surviving and thriving.

My neighbor birds are rebuilding a new, secure and cozy nest nearby. They are rebalancing with ease because they are resilient! I took all the clumps of my hair from the shower and placed them in the backyard. My offering of building supplies for their new endeavors. Sending them my love!

Today there are finches in the palm tree bark and a woodpecker on the crown. I see mockingbird go whooshing between houses. Hummingbird is on another bush a little ways off. They are adjusting to change beautifully. I hope I can do the same.