Saturday, March 22, 2014

Elation!

the flowers appear on the earth;
the time of the singing of birds is come,

and the voice of the turtle* is heard in our land;   Song 2:12 KJV


And there they are!  The shoots of the daffodils rising from the earth, the robin entertaining me with song.  Oh, yes, it is the song of the robin, yet not the same song he sings a bit later, but rather a loud welcoming of the new season. The mourning doves are fluttering back and forth from the ground to the eaves, their wings whistling as they flit.  Yes, the construction of the nest is already underway.  Unfortunately for them, they shall be evicted, for they have chosen to lay the twigs in the gutter.  Not acceptable.

I have observed over the years that the dove is rather thoughtless in its management of its domicile.  First, the selection of its location is often inappropriate (gutter) or careless (low-hanging branch, easily accessible by cats and small boys.)  Second, the construction of the home is quite haphazard, careless, almost, as though the poor things are so anxious that they cannot take time to construct a proper nest.  (Adolescent behavior.)
And yet for all that, the race continues to survive year after year.  Perhaps if they were more attentive and careful, the breed would overrun the earth, and thus nature protects us all.

The sap riseth in the birch, yea, and drippeth on the ground, leaking from the fissures created by the ravages of winter winds.  High in her branches, in all his flaming red glory, the cardinal percheth.  He screameth his song, "Wheat, wheat, chew, chew, chew, chew."  And eagerly he awaiteth my planting of the flower seeds so that he can gobble them up, should I carelessly leave them atop the soil.

Happy vernal advent!

*Turtledove.  In Jamesian English, the given translation is appropriate.  Scholars agree that modern English would identify the creature as avian not reptilian.

8 comments:

Vee said...

Hopeful signs, all. I''m starting to long for green.

Lin said...

Oh yes! Doves are the WORST nest-builders EVER. Dumb, dumb, dumb. They take maybe 3 sticks and toss them on a low-lying branch and then wait for their young to plunge to their death. Drives me CRAZY! I am always tempted to make a catch-net under their nests when I find them.

I don't like baby-bird season for this very reason. :(

Grace said...

We have Spring today, and winter is back on Tuesday - one warm-ish day to break up the continued unusual cold...Oddly enough I saw tons and tons of robins every time it snowed - we have been snowless for just barely under a week and also robin-less. weird.

Sharkbytes said...

Verily, your poleward friends await with longing in our bosom the appearance of e'en the bare ground and seek to avert the starlings from their purpose to advance a domicile.

Sorry (just read the Hokey-Pokey, Shakespeare style)

vanilla said...

Vee, lo, the green cometh!

Lin, they are terrible at construction. Worse, though, is the kildeer, which bothereth not to construct at all. The ground sufficeth. (But the chicks haven't far to fall!)

Sharkey, oh, that that might soon eventuate: bare earth beneath the feet of Michiganians.

vanilla said...

Grace, perhaps your robins are now our robins?!

Shelly said...

Surely spring is set to make her grand entrance soon for you all!

vanilla said...

Shelly, hope springs eternal; and Spring will spring, too!