Bird Watching

“Heike says I have gained weight. Rubbish. She shrank my pants but does  not want to admit it. In any case, I am not going to talk to her today. Up one size? I don’t think so.

I am not going anywhere today. I am staying here. I have got enough   chocolate to last for more than a day so I will not go hungry. Where I keep the chocolate?  In the watering can. You would never have guessed that, would you? Why in the watering can? No one ever looks at it so it is the perfect hiding place for my secret stack of chocolates and biscuits. And there is more under my pillow.  

 

The birds should be out soon. It is a beautiful morning and the cats did not show up yet. Many different birds come by here, you know? Parakeets,  pigeons, sparrows, bulbuls. There is also the great tit, the  sunbird, the crow  and of course that strange bird which is called myna. It is a rather hideous looking  creature and has an ugly bare yellow patch behind the eye. They usually appear in pairs. Ugly couples. They do have beautiful singing voices though, nicer even than the great tit, which by the way is Heike’s favorite. Do you want me to tell you a secret?  Heike cries when she hears the great tit sing. Why? She says it reminds her of home. But don’t you dare tell her I told you! Would you like a chocolate raisin?

 

Back to the myna though, it is a nasty fellow. It uses the nests of other birds and is considered an invasive species, which means it manages to thrive almost everywhere. Flying rat they call it in Australia because of its scavenging. Well at least it sings nicely. Look over there! Not there! More to the right! Yes, right there, that is a myna couple. Always in pairs. And when they walk? Like people almost.

The bulbuls are stupid, easy prey for the cats. Not only do they sit very low in the trees the draw all the attention to themselves by singing like crazy, not very nice by the way but very loud and so does the hummingbird. Shimmering blue and belting out its tune like an opera singer it seems to shout at the cats: hey you over there, fancy a bird for breakfast?  They are just lucky the cats are old. And lazy.

Look, look! Over there now, there is a……..

What is that noise? What is going on? Nooo!!!  I don’t believe this. There is Heike with the hose and what is she doing? Cleaning the windows? She scared all the birds away. I hope she did not see me. But…nooo…. I think she is coming in…!”

” Good morning Pomi! You are up early!”