TO A SPARROW
"Your perch is the branch
and your boudoir the branch also.
The branch, the rough branch!
evergreen boughs closing you about
like ironed curtains
to complete the decor.
The sun pours in
as the roughing wind blows
and who will conceive the luxury,
the rare lightness of
your fluttering toilette like him,
he who is lost and alone in the world?
Princess of the airy kingdoms
the sky is your wardrobe
and yellow roses
the frilled chrysanthemums bending
to the late season your park.
Among the clouds your couriers
post to embassies
beyond our fondest dreams
and heaven, the ancient court of saints
whispers to us
among the hemlocks
insistently of you."
Egret's Nest asked for a pic of my "favorite easy-to-see bird feeder regular bird" and in response I offer this scanned pic of a white-throated sparrow taken the Christmas after I got my first *real* camera. Like most of my bird pics, it's not very good, but at least it's in focus and you can tell what bird it is. I haven't gotten much better with bird photography in the 5 years since, but I'm still trying. ;-)
White-throats are here now; at least I think I'm hearing their lispy call notes, although I haven't laid eyes on one yet. They are too shy, in all but the worst of winter weather, to come to the feeder nearest the house. Instead I scatter seed for them and the juncos in the back corner of the yard where it borders the scrubby field that shields our yard from the park and athletic fields behind us. They seem to me to be cheerful little birds and not nearly as prone to grumpiness as the song sparrows who are with us year round. I like to hear their "Old Sam Peabody" song and will often whistle along with them.
-William Carlos Williams
Egret's Nest asked for a pic of my "favorite easy-to-see bird feeder regular bird" and in response I offer this scanned pic of a white-throated sparrow taken the Christmas after I got my first *real* camera. Like most of my bird pics, it's not very good, but at least it's in focus and you can tell what bird it is. I haven't gotten much better with bird photography in the 5 years since, but I'm still trying. ;-)
White-throats are here now; at least I think I'm hearing their lispy call notes, although I haven't laid eyes on one yet. They are too shy, in all but the worst of winter weather, to come to the feeder nearest the house. Instead I scatter seed for them and the juncos in the back corner of the yard where it borders the scrubby field that shields our yard from the park and athletic fields behind us. They seem to me to be cheerful little birds and not nearly as prone to grumpiness as the song sparrows who are with us year round. I like to hear their "Old Sam Peabody" song and will often whistle along with them.
8 comments:
I like listening to the young white-throated sparrows working on their tuning in the early spring. There are so many different variations on the basic song at that time.
I love the poetry of WCW. I like the white throated, too but I'm laughing because I've had more than my fill of sparrows since moving to the city. I hung 3 feeders and in as many minutes there were easily a hundred of the cheerful fellows bouncing around the courtyard. About a week ago I switched to thistle and yesterday I had a lone goldfinch- while a hundred sparrows perched on the telephone line waiting for their sunflower seeds.
Thanks for casting these little chippers in such a positive light- perhaps I'll refill their feeders tomorrow. Esp. since it's turning so cold.
Thanks! What a cute little sparrow!
Hmm...must be the "Joyzee" song sparrows that have an attitude problem. Mine are cheerful and sweet.
;-)`
And I think that your bird photography is great! Way better than mine.
Oh, and thanks for including a William Carlos Williams poem -- one of my favorite poets!!!
John: It is fun to listen to them practice. Saw my first junco today!
Vicki: I wonder if your hoardes aren;t house sparrows, rather than these little cuties?
Egret's Nest: Glad you liked it and the poem.
Susan: You're too nice.
I saw a few white-throats yesterday and was thinking of you. I stole your "Sam Peabody" reference for my post!
I enjoyed that post Mojoman. I think the white-throats also sing *Oh sweet Canada*.
;-)
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