Perched atop a metal staircase, I survey the area with beady eyes. The ground in front is white from recent snowfall, making it easy to spot approaching dangers. More difficult if they emerge from the dark woodland behind. That's not my problem when I'm on front guard duty.
I call across to the next post, “See anything?”
“No, nothing.” comes the reply.
I move my feet to prevent freezing to the cold metal. I’d have preferred a spot on the blue plastic, but they were already taken when I arrived. The plastic isn’t as cold to stand on but it can be very slippery. Once, I lost my footing and slid all the way down the blue spiralling chute, out of control until I shot out of the tube at the bottom, landing beak first into cold wet snow. It took ages to dry my feathers and restore my dignity.
It's a strange structure we’re occupying. I've heard humans use it in summer. They fill those tanks on the ground with water and people splash about, laughing and shouting. Personally, I don’t see the attraction.
It’s far too cold now for parading in bathing costumes. Some of the migratory visitors speak of similar structures further South swarming with humans. There’s a serious risk of getting soaked.
Crazy installing one here though. I know climate change has made it colder and there’s a lot more snow nowadays, but still, who wants a play-area that’s closed for months on end? Anyhow, it's great for us birds. It's the perfect lookout post for the colony, taller than nearby trees. And the empty tanks are great traps for small rodents, insects and grubs who fall in and can't get out again.
“See anything?” comes the call from my left.
“No, nothing.” I reply.
No comments:
Post a Comment