birds....

ok, so there is a mourning dove who has nested in my rose arbor....and i have taken to walking out to the road for the morning paper by way of the driveway so as to avoid disturbing her.....she is platforming rather than nesting, i suppose, because what she built appears little more than a flat matting of organic matter...but she seems determined to sit there.....and i will give her due distance......we have an unusual number of turkey vultures in the area......it is not unusual to gaze across the creek and see a dozen or more birds in a single tree......a bit ominous......as if they know something we do not.....i was in the habit of checking on the cat, just in case....but i have yet to see them engaged in actual carrion activity......as for the rest of our little bird friends....we keep the feeder well-stocked so they can catch up nutritionally after a harsh winter......the goldfinches appear to be especially vibrant this season.....there is a single bird that may be partially deaf, blind or other wise disabled.....as we see other birds force it off the feeder....and on a recent occasion my spouse was able to walk right up to the feeder when that bird was eating without the bird moving a muscle....poor thing....life is tough enough without your friends keeping you from a good meal.....