When I need to find normal, I look to the birds.
We have built multiple gardens in our yard over the years; this one was built in the spring. Previously, this spot was filled with a Bradford Pear that stood at least 40 feet high, and was home to dozens of birds. A storm took that tree away.
Around the stump, we built a small garden, and planted annuals and perennials to attract birds and butterflies. We hung three bird feeders - one for suet, one for sunflower, and one for Niger. Then we waited.
Several birds that had previously been attracted to the tree returned - wrens, chickadees, sparrows, cardinals, and the beautiful titmouse.
We also attracted some newcomers. One of the brightest being the red-bellied woodpecker who wiles away his mornings and evenings enjoying the nut-based suets we hang.
But the most interesting bird that has started arriving is the common grackle.
Black is Beautiful
These birds are often looked over because they are so common. In trees, along power lines, on the ground. It's hard to look anywhere in my area for more than a few minutes and not see a few.
Of late, however, I've come to appreciate their beauty. On bright, sunny days, hues of purple and green reflect off their heads. Like the shifts in color at twilight, these dashes of color blend in and mesh with the background on which they rest, rather than jump out at you like the reds on the red-bellied woodpecker or the purples on the common house finch.
Many people never register the shimmering rays of colors grackles display because they look past the birds. To see it, to appreciate it, you must slow yourself down and stare. Allowing your eyes to adjust to the subtlety of its coloring. Only then does the palette open before your eyes.
Beyond Color
The tail feathers are a feat of natural engineering and resemble the keel of a boat. You won't always see it, however. During the non-breeding season, the tails are folded in. And during breeding season, they take the keel shape in male grackles.
It's the grackle's intelligence, however, that really has caught the attention of birdwatchers and scientists alike. They're especially well-known for adapting to challenges, as one Cambridge University study has shown.
When eating, grackle prefer to forage on the ground. In my garden, the grackle will jump from the bird bath, to the feeder, and back, repeatedly. Why the pattern? I honestly have no idea. But it's a wonderful question to puzzle out while sitting on the front porch.
Peace in the Everyday
Every now and again, I catch sight from my writing window of a young family walking their son and a newborn. Of late, they've been attracted to my garden, too. The little boy especially is enamored of the birds.
He sees it. The beauty in the everyday life of the birds.
Sometimes, it takes the inquisitive eyes of a young child seeing the world for the first time to remind us that it's there.
For more on the Grackle, read these pieces:
Eight Reasons Grackles Are Awesome (Texas Monthly)
A Bird Tail (My Gardener Says ...)