A bluebird perched himself on my windowsill this morning. Jim says it's not the first time, although today was the first time I've seen him. He sat outside my kitchen window, and at first I thought he was just a robin. I looked a little closer and suddenly noticed just how BLUE he was. He turned slightly and I saw his rusty red chest. I smiled! "This is rare!" I thought.
He sat there for a little while and it suddenly struck me, "Get your camera, girl!" So I did.
I snuck up and shoved my phone closer and closer to the windowsill, trying to be quiet and slow. I clicked off two pretty quick shots right in a row.
In the birdwatching process, I noticed a few different things:
He looked round and puffed up. He looked cold, and furthermore, kind of hacked off about it. I felt sorry for him, considering how confusing the weather had been lately. 60 degrees one day, snow dusted sidewalks the next. I wondered if he was sitting there on the windowsill, thinking to himself how crappy it was that nature would be jerking him around like this.
Anyway, I got two shots and he turned around suddenly and saw me. Bam! He was gone.
Ten minutes later, he was back. Same perch. I reached for my camera again in an effort to get more pictures of this "happy" little bird.
This time I noticed that he was looking down constantly, half flapping his wings every now and then as if to suggest... impatience. I tried to look down to where he was looking. Down below, on the ground, I saw his partner. A faded girl bluebird who was very busy with her chores - straw in the mouth, flying here, flying over there. All the while, he sat haughtily up on the sill. I began to get a little miffed at him. He didn't seem to like the way she was doing what she was doing. I caught myself thinking, "Just go down there and do it yourself then, man!" At the same time, I stuck my camera up to snatch another picture of him. He turned around and glared at me before he flew off. I know he did.
I think it should be the girl bluebirds that are bright and pretty, by the way.
Fifteen minutes later, I found him in a different place. Still a kitchen window perch, new window. He'd gotten wise to my ways. I grabbed my camera again.. just to irk him. This time even as my phone got within five inches of him, he was gone. I was toying with him now. I was not about to let this go.
An HOUR later, he returned to windowsill A. I again took a picture of him. He turned to look at me in disgust, his mouth partly open as if to mouth me. I smiled in triumph. He flew away.
I'm just suggesting that perhaps the symbolism of the bluebird could be way off the mark. What if we were wrong? Really, really wrong...
Later this spring, when there is a post about how Whitney has been attacked by a blue bird, we'll all know why ;)
ReplyDeleteShe was clearly providing unnecessary agitation to an already volatile situation. I mean come on; the bird would have a case. Here you have a pair of birds minding their own business. The girl bird trying to build her hubby (hmm, do birds marry?) a warm shelter while he sits on his lazy tail feathers chirping off orders at her. We all know that’s a recipe for marital duress. Then along comes paparazzi Whitney trying to document the whole ordeal so that she may entertain her blog followers for the week. Sticking her camera up in his face over and over again, trying to get the money shot. Just waiting for that one moment when he snaps so she can show the world the blue bird's not so happy after all. To add insult, he finds his ‘photo shopped’ picture has been plastered all over the web making him look like a deranged a-hole. Would you blame the birds for a little retribution next time Whitney’s seen outside the protective confines of the warm, dry, kitchen?
I'm not sure how to respond, once again.
ReplyDeleteCrafty photo doctoring though! Very hot.
When someone googles "bluebirds," they are gonna get WAY more than they bargained for.
My parents, too, are fascinated by birds and while I am over there I will randomly hear, "There's a cardinal!" Followed by running steps to the window to look at the "beautiful" creature. Don't get me wrong, birds are great. In the summer there have been many an afternoon, mornings not so much because afterall we are teachers and do appreciate the fact we get to sleep after the sun comes up two months out of the year, that I enjoy a nice chirp or two. However, I do agree 100% that the females should be more beautiful than the males. I don't see that as fair. Perhaps we can use this as a symbolic representation to our young girls who feel the need to go above and beyond to "look perfect." The female birds obvisouly don't get recognized, follow their suit. All this to say, you seriously spent more than an HOUR documenting a bird????? I agree with Jim, you deserve a good poop on the head.
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