Mixed Feathers

Back here in the sticks we are lover of all things nature!! well....ok.... that's a bit strong of a statement I guess, cause the spiders can take a hike and the snakes, shudder, are not embraced, in any form, or size, or color EVER!!!!! but...other than that we pretty much love all the rest! But, we especially love the birds we've been blessed with! We even take dead tops of large fallen trees and plant them near the house for the fowls open air smorgasbord and rest areas and for our up close and personal viewing and entertainment!
Birds are amazing, so beautiful, and fascinating to me!! I mean for the most part it doesn't matter what the weather is like you never crawl out of bed in the morning to total silence!! First small break of light in the sky you can feel and hear the forest stirring, coming alive, awakening in praise of a new day, their songs bursting forth with no hesitation! We've never witnessed the Robin family, stomping around in a huff, feathers drawn, wings crossed and tight beaked cause their nest wasn't holding up well in the springs first of many thunderstorms, rather they are perched proudly voices raised praising in the middle of the down pour!! I've never peered out my windows in the early morning and jumped back startled exclaiming, well, kids, looks like todays an indoor day, cause looks like Downy Woodpeckers got outta the wrong side of their nest this A.M!! We have quite a wonderful variety of feathered loveliness around here, some are only for a short season, just passing through but grace us with their beauty and presence each year like the Red Breasted Grosbeak, or the Indigo Bunting, which is rare and mainly in the mountains behind our place. Then there's the Eastern Blue bird that occasionally leaves their open meadow and homey areas and hangs out here awhile catching bugs! Then there's my absolute favorite song bird that comes in early spring and stays until late fall, the Wood Thrush, their song makes me melt and smile and do my own praising ever time and along with this ones beautiful melody is my other most favorite song bird and also most favorite attired feathered friend, the Baltimore Orioles!! and right up close to that is the Brown Thrasher and Rufus Sided Towee! Then there's the we wanna be nearby but we'll keep our distance ones, the Pileated Woodpeckers, the Northern Flickers, the Jenny Wren, the Robin's and the Song Sparrow. And then there's the faithful every day up close and personal entertainers, the Cardinals, Blue Jays, Purple Finch, Gold Finch............................................................aaaannnnddddd I interrupt this nature walk to report my first snake spotting this year, right outside MY PATIO DOOR!!!!!!!! speak of the devil!!! About the length and width of a yellow #2 pencil, smallish I know, but fears are real, and big, and not to be taken lightly....... It may or may not have made friends with a certain earth digger tool thingy!! ok....I'm still shivering, and feeling crawly, but back to my bird sanctuary, as I was saying, our every day faithful's, are the.......oh, the creepy, it was a baby, so does that mean more?? and where are they?? and how many?? and I was so enjoying being outdoors this year the first in many years without allergies.......birds, Janette, birds, focus already!! Every day birds.... the Doves, the humming birds, the Downy Woodpeckers, the Hairy Woodpeckers, (still trying to get past the goosebumpy feeling) the Nuthatches, the Tufted Titmouse, and the Red Bellied Woodpeckers. And among the everyday entertainers is another small group of birds, the low class group, the welfare section, the poor souls, the less than desirables, namely, the Starlings, Cowbirds and sparrows. There's nothing particularly wrong with these few more than they are not pretty in song or clothing, and they are rather a dirtier sort, but the most amazing and fascinating thing about this whole group of flighty wonders is, they all are so different, so unique, and yet they without judgment dine together, side by side, sharing from the same provision without a fuss!! And they willingly care for each other and pick up the slack of the lesser with no complaint!! We discovered the Cowbirds will lay there eggs in another mamas nest and fly away from all child rearing responsibility leaving the other all ready gonna be a mama anyway to feed and raise her young'uns! Anyway, we were blessed to witness this mixed family unit, on Sunday as we're enjoying our lunch in our central aired dining room  we spotted a mama and papa Cardinal lovingly feeding a baby Cowbird!! Talk about nature even following scripture commands and feeding and caring for the orphans and fatherless!! Another thing about these feathered wonders that I'm in awe off is their trust and faith in their creator, their Heavenly Father!! God's word clearly says how He cares for the birds of the air, even the Sparrow, the low class of birds, He cares for them, and here's the part that smacks me 'tween the eyes, those little guys, these feathered friends, LET HIM!! They wake every morning full of joy and praise cause they know that He's got them and they rest in that fully!! They sing out the storms cause He said He sees each one and cares and they TRUST HIM EVERY TIME no matter what, no questions asked, cause He's their Father, their Promise Keeper, their Faithful to the end by their side Creator, He told them He would and they rest in His promise, His word, cause they know without a slightest hesitation that He lovingly created each of them and will keep His promise to also care for them, every new day, all day, so they rise each morning in praise, they sleep each night in rest!! I got so much learning and growing to do!!