Go to the nearest window. Look out for a full minute. Write about what you saw.

Gazing through the window, I stand as still as possible, not wanting to scare the chickadees and nuthatches as they battle over the fresh bird seed.

A mockingbird sits patiently on the air conditioner as if he were hailing a cab. There is a huge gray squirrel perched on the rail by the steps. Past the steps, the ‘Corkscrew Willow‘ tree, crowded with a multitude of different birds all waiting to get to the feeders.

The little guys continue to devour the fresh bird seed. It is like an open sign has been hung on the door of a new market.

Oops…here come the turtle doves, being their usual intrusive selves. They run the little guys off, break in line and make the rest of the crowd angry. A few of the purple finches try to join the Doves at the feeder, only to be run off by the biggest Dove. Turtle Doves are messy birds. They knock seeds all over the porch and ground, enabling a few of the braver birds to fly in to sneak a little bite.