Nature can be so amusing

I find I love to watch the antics of the animals and birds that come into our yard. This morning I’ve been totally entertained by a few of our feathered friends.

As I sit here in the office, looking out the window, I have spied a Ladderback Woodpecker on one of the partially dead oak trees. Minding his own business, just going up and down the trunk looking for insects. And along comes a Blue Jay. To a neighboring tree that is about 2 feet away. At this point there are no leaves on the trees yet, so I watch these two. Mr. Woodpecker continues up the trunk, he moves up 2 feet, Mr. Blue Jay moves up 2 feet on the other tree trunk. Staying level with the woodpecker and it looks like he’s chewing him out. The woodpecker moves up another 2 feet and so does the blue jay. Until the woodpecker is at the top of the dead section, and then proceeds to fly off to another tree. AND THE BLUE JAY FOLLOWS HIM? Now I admit to not always knowing much about bird culture, and I can’t see any nests the blue jay could be defending so what’s up with him following and aggravating a bird that has a beak twice as long as his? As my husband commented, that’s like bringing a pocket knife to a sword fight! Geesh.

And then I look to the picnic table and there I find two male Mockingbirds, doing a side step territorial dance on the top of the picnic table, while the female sits on the edge of the bird bath three feet away and watches. LOL Side by side they go, across and back, back and across, over and over.

Yes, I am easily amused on a rainy morning! And the yard is full of birds of all varieties this morning, blue jays, the woodpecker, mockingbirds, house finches, gold finches, cardinals. My cold is not going away and it’s rainy and dreary outside, so I could stay here all day just looking out the window! Now where’s my sketchbook? And would someone bring me a cup of hot tea please?