drama

As the leaves come down, and the corn fields are harvested, the vistas in Vermont grow appreciably. Bird and squirrel nests, which have been hidden all summer long are now revealed. With the bird houses which we have in the backyard, I'm aware of the high drama that unfolds during the summer months. The birds are born, the parents are challenged to nurture their young; to feed them and protect them from danger. In the case of our bluebirds, the danger comes from sparrows who would kill the bluebirds, and take over the nests. I've been known to install some odd looking contraptions on the top of the nests to keep the sparrows away. Sometimes some swallows will take over a nest. That is not a problem as the swallows & bluebirds co-exist nicely. You see the nests in the bare trees & realize that the drama playing out in our back yards is multiplied a million-fold in the fields & forests all over the state. In the spring as the trees leaf out, there is the feeling that a curtain is being drawn to shield the dramatic participant from prying eyes.