We’ve moved up the road a few blocks and up the luxe level a few miles as we house sit for friends in Green Valley. They are avidly interested in birds. They’ve made their yard attractive to various species so they can have the viewing and sonic pleasure of an aviary without all the nets and cages. 

This morning, I had coffee on their patio and watched the sun rise. At precisely 6am the yard filled with birdsong and actual birds. So PRECISELY at six that it seemed like they had commuted in together to clock in on time. Except for the hummingbirds, overzealous little busybodies, who flitted in while it was still dark possibly to write up late arrivals. 

The other day, I refilled the suet early so I could show off the birds to my granddaughter via FaceTime. I felt some guilt that I might be exploiting the birds for my own purposes, but I rationalized it (rationalizing being my superpower) that it was all consensual and no one was harmed. 

Yesterday, this fellow showed up in the bird bath/reservoir. Earlier, I sensed some derision here when I posted a picture of a bobcat. So, to be clear, I’m not claiming this is a condor or a pterodactyl; I think it’s a hawk. For those of you with protractors and slide rules, I was about eighteen feet away and the birdbath is about forty-two inches high. It was 11:07am when I took the picture if you want to extrapolate from the shadows to imply something about the bird. I suppose you can infer what you will about me that I took your (bob)cattiness so deeply.