Bird Friendly Yard...?

As our studies progress through Zoology 1. We have begun setting up a bird friendly yard. Lots of different kinds of bird feeders have attracted a beautiful variety. Faithful has been snapping pictures. Beloved has built bird blinds and hides for hours with his binoculars.

We always have a field guide handy for easier identification. The weather has been near perfect and brought wonderful cool spring days. As I get up in the morning and open the blinds and the back door to catch the cool breeze, I am blessed with a symphony of bird calls and songs.

I image the birds calling good morning and telling each other of the bounty offered in our yard. Singing praises to The Creator. It has reminded me of some of the stories I have read of the ton riding in their open carriages through the park in a London season of the Victorian era. All showing off their finery and making the morning rounds.

Well, what is a good story without an adversary. Someone unexpected but so much a part of the scence as to be almost unnoticed. Enter the dogs, Sugar and Daisy. Sugar is an 8 yr old golden retriever and Daisy is some form of hound dog. Curious, I never noticed their hunting pedigrees until the fateful morning I heard the bird calling "Murder! Murder! There's been a murder!"

I race outside and run into Faithful and Beloved saying "Hurry, Sugar has a bird in her mouth." Have you ever tried to take a bird away from a dog who is too old to hunt and knows it has found a prize? I will spare you the gruesome details, but there had indeed been a murder most fowl in the bird friendly yard...