Spider man birds

The birdfeeder that is suctioned to my office window is a popular hangout for feathered travelers this season. Although it took a long time to draw the flying friends into the lair, the word is out now around town that The church chick has seeds, baby.

The pigeon finally went back home again, or at least he headed out of town, but he has been replaced by a couple of fluffy thugs who fly in several times a day to eat their fill. The younger and smaller creatures have adapted well to the bully birds. They have become spiderman birds as they have learned to scale the brick wall that backs the alley where my office is.

When I look through the window I see the birdfeeder, and just past the feeder lies the lovely red brick wall backdrop. I don’t mind the harsh brick canvas, but sometimes I imagine how it would look to paint a landscape on it or a seasonal scene. I think it would be fun to put a cut-out of a vintage Philips 66 gas station man with his hat on waving at passers by.

People walking by in the hallway could have a brief encounter with the beach or the mountains, along with the birds. Lots of possibilities there. serendipitous ideas, thoughts that pass by from time to time in between baptisms and funerals here at Church Chick work camp.

One day, the bully birds, Bret and Horace, were playfighting during their mid morning snack. A group of small neat winged brown friends headed over for a beak full, but when they rounded the corner into the alley They were greeted by a throw of sunflower shells and they hit an invisible force field or something because they put the brakes on and slammed into the brick alley wall- little tiny bird feet first.

They clung to the wall for several minutes, dazed and confused. Every few seconds, one or another would look around to see if the big boys were still at the trough- Soon as the big birds left, the littles flew over and ate.

Now, this pattern of behavior has become routine. Daily, the cafeteria line starts on the brick. Visitors who venture into the office and sit in my round cozy chair are surprised by this phenomenon. Maybe the birds think the brick is just a very wide and coarse tree. Or maybe they are really a troop of acrobat birds and I’ll make my fortune by charging a fee to watch the show. Or maybe they just had a close call one day, and they learned how to scale brick while waiting for lunch. Either way, the alley is becoming a most entertaining spot to watch.