Are you talking to me?

Yesterday I was in the guest room on the computer copying some recipes from books I had checked out of the library onto the computer, and I heard a call outside. A call that sounded familiar, as I had heard it at lunchtime. I remember thinking at the dining room table that the call sounded familiar, but wasn't immediately known. Of course at lunchtime it was quickly forgotten since I had to move on to the whole why don't my children EAT ANYTHING thing. So at the computer I would occasionally glance out the window, yet not see anything. I was halfheartedly looking for a cardinal, but it had been so long since I'd seen one, much less heard one, I was not diligent about it. After a while, Ava came in crying. It seems that Dad had instructed her to march back upstairs to bed since the length of her nap was completely unsatisfactory, and knowing there was no way she would be going back to sleep, and also knowing poor sleepy Dad was probably trying to take a golf nap, I told her she could climb into the guest bed and spend quiet time instead of going back to her room. She excitedly complied. After a couple more recipes, I hear the call again, and again, quite closely, and glanced out the window. In the middle of our next door neighbors huge maple tree in the back sat the first blue jay we have seen all year. I scooted Ava out of bed quickly so she could see him before he made his mad dash. Thankfully she did make it before he was gone. We were both so excited! I don't favor the blue jay as a bird (nasty things, they eat other bird's eggs and trash others nests-very rude!) but I do find them quite beautiful. And although the bird book shows quite a lot of beautiful birds that make their home in our region, we have been quite limited in what we have seen. (this is strange to me too as our next door neighbor has a few feeders for the birds?!) Aside from the spring robins and the summer sparrows and an occasional finch, the only colors we have seen so far are the yellow of the goldfinch and the red of the cardinal. I have been asking (hinting, really) about PJ for a shepherds hook on which to put my birdfeeder. I want a 2 prong one so I can put out the hummingbird feeder too- I have seen far too few of these as well. With the bird food you have to be careful or those crafty squirrels will raid it, but perhaps a trip to the local bird store would have some great solutions. Lucky for Ava and me that our next door neighbor in the meantime attracts some birds for us to watch to her big maple tree.
(photo courtesy of birdperch.com