Tree Bush Man & Pretty Birds

"Pretty bird."  "Pretty bird."

We've all said it.

My sister's bird used to say it.

My great grandpa had a black macaw.  He used to say it.

Grandpa's bird said other things, as well, not so nice things.  But when grandpa got the bird, he got the parroting, too.  We didn't love that bird.  He was bigger than most, his sound was not easy on the ears, and he was black, all black - a bit daunting, "Pretty bird, pretty bird."

Remember Tree Bush Man, I think that was his nickname, on television about 30 years ago?  He'd come on the air during the morning news to feature outdoorsman advice.  This one segment I watched he told all about birds.

Birds have a nature and according to Tree Bush Man they like yards and areas where there's lots of foliage coverage so they can flit from bush to lower tree branches to fence rails to small pockets of water and the fly back to tops of the trees.  Especially, if the yards are cat and dog free.

Tree Bush Man told how one bird will twitter on a tree branch as a scout, while another will dip into a puddle of rainwater.  Or one will stand guard while others eat from a bird feeder.  Some birds are top feeders and they scatter the seeds as they eat.  Other birds scrounge around on the ground for the scattered seeds.

I've seen birds act in tandem where one will land on a tall dried tommy knocker, and his weight will make it bow to the ground, then another bird will come along and pick and peck all the seeds falling out of the tassel top of the tommy knocker.  It was captivating.

So I told Mom all this.  I told her all about the interesting characteristics of birds, and how if the guard spies danger like a dog bounding around the corner the bird will give out a warning call.  Then they all fly into the nearest evergreen tree like metal shavings sucked to a magnet.

After watching Tree Bush Man, I watched our birds, and sure enough, that's exactly how they conducted themselves in our front yard.  I watched with binoculars, and camera, and 2 identifying bird books nearby.  We have a birdbath, an enclosing fence, bushes, trees, small man-made water feature, and feeders in the maple tree, and nut tree.  All happened like he said.

The brown sparrows will call out when a cow bird is nearby.  When you see a bright red cardinal just flicking this way and that on a branch, you'll know to look for his female mate, who's not so brightly colored, feasting nearby.  If suddenly all birds fly away with warning sounds, look again and your yard could be full of nasty shrill sounding grackles.  Pretty yellow finches come to visit quickly, but red robins stay and build nests above the outdoor light.  Haven't yet figured out which birds, but some sing when I play the piano.

All these discoveries I told Mom, including, "If a scout bird sees a human coming out of the house, he'll give a sharp loud cry of warning.  Then all the other birds fly at once into our pine tree."  Then I got an eye-opener.  Mom always had a new thought; a different take on a matter.

Surprisingly, she said, "I liked it better when I thought of them as just carefree "pretty birds" singing sweetly in the trees."