Who knew...

I had no idea when I mentioned something I thought was simply interesting to someone that I would then be recruited to take the matter seriously... but that is what happened yesterday...

We recently put up bird feeders so that while we are studying birds in Science this year, we will have birds to look at. Novel idea, I know. But any of you who know my struggle against weeds (and my desire to maintain a weed-free landscaping) understands why this took me so long. But finally, we did do it. And it has been fun.

The kids and I have really enjoyed watching all our bird friends, and trying hard to identify them (though we are terrible birders... we are all like, look at that pretty red bird... oh, the cute brown one...). We have laughed as they "line up" to take turns at the feeders and also commented on their selfishness during "fights" when one bird feels another has taken longer on the bird feeder than he ought. Elliott is not a fan of what they leave behind on the deck. The kids have a new chore now. There are strange new plants growing in my landscaping... and I keep pulling them up. Ah, the fun of bird feeders.

But, the most interesting thing has come from our observing one specific bird. Patch, the children have named her. We know it is one bird, and not one of many, because there is something very special about her. She is a sweet, little female house finch, she never fights for her way at the feeders, in fact, we only see her at our least frequented suet feeder which is right outside our kitchen window. We know it is Patch because she has an eye deformity. We watch her come to the suet feeder and she is faithful to come nearly every day, right after lunch. We always say "hello" to Patch and everyone comes to watch her until she finished eating or gets run off by another bird.

I just happened to tell the folks who lead the Young Birders Club, which we joined in the fall, because I thought it was a cute story. I really thought I was just sharing with them a little interesting fact. Turns out, that the folks in the Bird Lab at Cornell University are doing a study right now about house finches with eye deformities. Really?!?!?! And, they asked that I try to take a photo of Patch and give them any details I have about behavior, when we see her, how often, etc. Who, me?!?!?!?!

So, now I have a camera close by the window and I am super distracted by every movement outside my kitchen window. It is a humorous turn of events, especially if any of you knew how tirelessly I teased a certain friend of mine over the past few years over her bird obsession (sorry, Michelle...). If I get a good picture of our little bird, Patch the house finch, I will post it.