Before I even got to sit down with my coffee, I heard them through the drawn drapes. The birds are back. I try not to get excited about this as a forecast of Spring because it is 21 degrees this morning (also, it’s February 9th in northern NJ). I slowly open the drapes, trying not to startle them away. They have good volume, I realized, as I see that they are in the tree in the back neighbor’s yard.

I leave the drapes open, the chirping continues. I sit down with my coffee, turn my attention to my puzzle and a cute, chubby nuthatch appears on my deck, right by the door. He examines the fallout from the flower pots and pecks at this and that. I have no bird seeds because my significant other thinks it would attract bears, it’s possible so I acquiesced. I rummaged through our snack jars until I found trail mix, heavy with sunflower seeds. I separated them out from the almonds and other big pieces. When I had half a palm full, I carefully opened the door and spread them on the railing. The cutie disappeared as soon as I opened the door. If I keep the door opening to a minimum, I hope he will return for his treats. Ken said I’ll probably get Blue Jays…

Hopefully, more news to follow..