avian advances
So I’m sleeping in bed one morning, and I hear a little tickity-tick sound from the next room. It sounds like soft tapping on the window or something. I shrug it off thinking it’s the cat playing with a toy or something. It’s Saturday, I’m stayin’ in bed. The next morning, it’s the same thing. Tickity-tick, tickity-tick. And I’m thinking WTF, that silly cat is playing in there again? Give me a break, it’s Sunday for Pete’s sake. Third day. It’s a weekday so I’m up. There it is again. Tickity-tick, tickity-tick. I go to the back room and look out the window and I see a little bird sitting in the lemon tree outside.
see little bird in tree
The next thing I know, that little bird hops up and is flying at the window, testing it to see how to get in. It’s little feet kicking, it’s beak tap-tap-tapping at the glass. Tickity-tick, tickity-tick.
see little bird fly at glass
Well isn’t that a strange thing I thought. So I ran and grabbed my camera, came back and that little bird was still out there looking very intently into the window. I started taking pictures, first from across the room with a bit of a zoom so I wouldn’t freak the little bird out. But I was easily able to move closer, the bird did seem to notice me, but clearly didn’t care.
see little bird back in tree
The cycle continues. The bird sits outside on a branch for a few seconds, then flies up and at the window, testing the glass with it’s beak and feet.
see little bird test the glass again
This goes on long enough that I start to postulate about possible reasons for this seemingly odd behavior. It’s clearly not hostile, more of a tentitive, feeling-it-out kind of vibe. Does the bird simply see it’s own reflection in the glass and find itself irresitable? There is a mirror on the opposite side of the room facing this window. Could the bird be looking across the room into that mirror thinking there is another bird a room away just waiting for romance?
see little bird take a rest
Then I think, it has become much colder the last few days, we just had our first frost. Perhaps the bird feels the warmth from the heater register at the base of the window, and is really just trying to get to a cozier spot. Or… maybe that little bird is just plain nuts from slapin’ itself silly flying against the damn window. It’s hard to say, those are my best guesses.
again with the glass! enough already
At this point the wonderment has started to fade. I’m right up at the glass now waving my arms, moving my head around, blocking it’s view of the mirror; little narcissistic bastard. What do you want little bird? Stop tickity-tapping my window so early in the morning. No worms here, take it somewhere else.
see litle bird ponder the situation
I love to get these little glimpses of what appears to be odd to me. And clearly, my little brain just just can’t help but try and figure out the why part. Needless to say, I found it all quite facinating. But there was someone who found it far more facinating than me.
see Charlotte ponder little bird
This drove Charlotte crazy. Her first attempt would have easily landed her a Thanksgiving bird had there not been that double-pane glass window between her and her prey. She had couple more spectacular leaps before she realized that it was futile. Something that poor little bird could have learned from. But it didn’t. This has been going on for over a week now. Go figure. We all still find it amusing, especially Charlotte who will go sit and make that odd sound cats make when they watch birds. Don’t know what it is she’s saying but it’s probably nothing you’d want your kids to hear, that’s for sure.
I hope little birdie solves it’s dilemma. Soon. It’s sad to see it try again and again to no avail. It must be frustrating. But not nearly as frustrating as being awakened on the weekend to tickity-tick, tickity tick.
