Springtime from Birdlands Front Porch
by Joe Marshall

As I sit on my front porch I see hundreds of Tri-Color Blackbirds flock to the chicken scratch that I scattered on the road and next to the sidewalk (or at least where the sidewalk is supposed to be).  White Winged Doves sing a Dove song to each other.  They sound so beautiful.  They can even be heard though the glass on the porch.

A Black Headed Grosbeak swoops in to grab a few sunflowers seeds from the feeder.  He scared away the many Purple Finches.  In come the Hooded, Scott's and Bullocks Orioles to the nectar feeders and oranges.  They look so stunning with their brilliant yellow and black colors.  The Ravens (Mr. & Ms. Double Notch) cawing away as they powerfully fly through the sky.  We think that they have a nest in the pine tree across the street. 

Goldfinches and Pine Siskins are fighting over the thistle feeder again.  There are more of the Goldfinches now because most of the Pine Siskins have flown northward.  A turkey vulture soars over the wash looking for lunch.  They're wonderful fliers but kind of ugly looking when they land.

A California Thrasher dashes by the front fence turning the leaves as he goes.  He's looking for snack or two.  Audubon's Warblers are doing their bath thing in the pond.  Its lets get some peanut butter and then go to the pond.   The Audubon's are almost gone now with the coming of warm weather.  All the birds love the pond.  They're either drinking from it or bathing in it.  A Scrub Jay pushes the House and White Crown Sparrows out of the way to get at the birdseed on the ground.  They're a real bully's.  Quickly it fills he gullet with seeds then flies away to its nest.   Wow a flock of Western Tanagers just flew in.  The males are beautifully marked with orange heads and yellow bodies.  Mr. & Ms. Indigo Bunting just arrived pecking at the seed on the ground.  Life is good for the birds at "Birdland".

Our front yard has come back to life.  The Daffodils are already bloomed out.  Irises now take their place.  Many different wildflowers have started blooming.  Of course the California Poppies are all over the place, but many of the wildflowers we planted last year have came back.  Not that they went anywhere they were just napping.  Weeds!  Why are there so many of them.  Some are very pretty but MAN do they grow fast.  My wife has been working hard removing a lot of them in preparation for our garden.  We keep some weeds as the wildlife really like them, especially the butterflies.

There goes Mr. Coyote down the wash.  He's looking for anything to eat.  His favorites are rabbits, mice and cats.  Yes cats.  If you've got one don't let it in the wash or it's fair game.  Remember the coyote was here first. 

The pond has or had a new resident.  A good friend found a box turtle walking down the road and knew that we loved turtles and tortoises so she brought it to us.  He seems to love the pond.  We raise desert tortoises at our home in the desert.  We got hooked on "TORTS" when our local colleges desert museum "Imperial Valley College Desert Museum" moved and needed a place to keep 21 TORTS.  Man let me tell you that many torts can really dig up your yard.  Holes everywhere.  The museum took their Torts back now but we have a few of our own.  Blondie our egg laying female faithfully makes babies every year.  She's a real trooper.  "Tex" our "TEXAS TORT" is still sleeping in the shed.  He should be up soon looking for a fight.  Rufus would gladly oblige him, as he's become quite a fighter also.  We do not keep tortoises in Jacumba, as it gets too cold.