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  • From: Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>
  • To: "homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org" <homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Homestead] Birds and grass
  • Date: Sat, 01 Oct 2005 08:38:03 -0500

During the four years I was away, the Heartwood grasses grew to impressive heights, in some places as high as my head. Neighbor-friend, Jeff Hubbard, came down with his bushhog and whacked the stuff down a couple weeks before I arrived but there was some rain and when I got here the grass in the front was about two feet tall. My brother, who came along to help, was as usual armed with binoculars and bird identification books and we were both disappointed to find virtually no evidence of birds here save the calls and occasional sighting of the pileated woodpecker.

I mused on the condition and observed that, at least in the case of bluebirds, small birds hunt in short grass, and perhaps they simply couldn't find enough groceries to survive in this unkempt place. So I mounted the mower steed and galloped through the hayfield, whacking it down to about four inches, the tallest setting on the mower, that high until I had found the stones raised by the armadillo army in my absence.

I was correct. Having now mown three times in three weeks, the front yard is again alive. This morning there are pairs of bluejay, bluebird, cardinal and goldfinch. Even the pileated seems to be coming in closer to check out the action. That's more like it.

Sitting at the computer last night a movement on the porch caught my eye and I turned just in time to see a Carolina wren hop into the terrapin shell hanging against the top beam under the porch roof. I watched for a bit and the hanging tail didn't move. I suffered the pain of wondering if I had poisoned it with the wasp and hornet spray used the day before. Then the tail twitched and I relaxed. This morning it is gone, out looking for breakfast.






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