Quiet Saturday Morning - Old Men and Birds

Larry the Handyman

I keep telling myself I need to hang around out in front of our house to see how different the birds are there than in the backyard - I confirmed today that would be a wise birding strategy. The gutter along the highest part of our roof was nearly blown away by the high winds a week ago Friday, and the handyman was by today to fix it. We have had a hard time finding someone to do jobs like this for us, but our neighbor had a flier that was left on his mailbox some time back - I wrote down the number and gave Larry a call and a try. He checked out the damage last week, and said he would come by and fix it today - for $150. I decided a long time ago there are limits to my handiness, and that the skilled workman is well worth her/his wages - I have given up trying to do "quick" jobs myself that end up costing more than hiring them out. (1) While Larry went up and down a very tall ladder and we chatted, I brought out the binoculars and camera and noted what birds were making their way among the trees and neighbors' houses from a vantage point where I rarely take the time to watch. Along with friendly chatter:  learning that we both moved to the area in January 2006 and agreeing that trim paint on house exteriors and complimentary colors in large interior rooms always look better than a single colors; I took a quick inventory of the birds in the front yard area.

There was an impressive number of Tufted Titmouse out there - I hadn't seen as many of these here at a time. When in the backyard, these birds dart in for a quick stab at seeds in the feeder, and then are

One pair of Tufted Titmouse

off to a limb or the top of the fence to eat their catch. After a few rounds of this, they are off to where-ever they spend the rest of their time - the front yard I have discovered. There were seven or more at a time hopping among the leafless branches and serenading up a storm. In the distance roosted in a tree that is just starting to break buds, were many Common Grackles. The grackles came and went in large flocks - there are peeps of chickens, a charm of gold finches, an exaltation of larks, an unkindness of ravens (that is also how they refer to the Baltimore 

A cackle of Common Grackles

defense), and a sord of mallard, but at first I couldn't find a collective noun for grackles. A little more searching and on a New Zealand birding site was listed a "cackle" of grackles - I guess a cackle is a good description for their speech and how they sound together (listen here). Also, soaring with the wind above and beyond the tree tops was an occasional Herring Gull or Black Vulture, and once even a Bald Eagle that happened to cruise by when I was looking up. The winds were blowing with some sincerity today, so there was no way to tell if the drifting birds called out or not.

I need to spend more time out front to take in the bird sightings, and to get a feel for the sites where they hang out in the wider-open spaces 

Bald Eagle soaring overhead

than in our backyard surrounded in trees. It was also great that Larry came in on his price quote - no surprises, and enjoyable conversation to go along with the service. While he worked, his white mane that spilled out from under his cap resembled that of the eagle coasting by over our heads. I am pretty sure both will be back some time in the future, each doing what he does best.
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(1) Many years ago in Corvallis, we had a slow leak in a copper water pipe under the house. The leak was because the pipe had been placed on top of a galvanized nail and electrolysis had worn through the copper. After calling a plumbing shop for an estimate, I decided to take the advice of a friend to do it myself. After buying the needed tools, plugging the pipe ends with bread, and repeated soldering tries, bruised knuckles, and primal grunts from the service passage beneath the house while Jan hid our small children in an interior windowless bathroom, while I decided it was best to call the plumber on Monday - the total cost, less than what I paid for the tools I had to buy to do this "easy" do-it-yourself job.