Birds on the Brain

Today has been quite the bird watching day and that's odd because it's 39 degrees and rainy and I've been working since 7:30 a.m., including a trip to the office and back.  And yet I still managed to see a few cool things.
It's been raining for about 20 hours now and so all of the deck furniture is wet, including a metal chair which has big, fat drops of water hanging off of its frame. If you've ever wondered where birds get their water when there are no pools, ponds or streams around, just watch a Northern Mockingbird on a rainy day.  I watched one hop very methodically across the frame of the chair, puttings its beak up to each drop and sucking them all down, one by one.  It was truly amazing to see this up close. 

Then a Song Sparrow came to the deck and carefully picked up every stray dog hair out there.  It went over my back doormat like a vacuum, and its beak was full of a huge wad of white fur in no time.  I'd love to see the nest when its done.  I might even be inspired to brush the dog outside so all of the birds can have fur-lined nests.

I suppose I should also add that the yard has been full of Juncos all day picking up as many seeds as they can before heading north.  And, not to be outdone, the squirrels are getting frisky on the oak tree right outside my window.  Spring has sprung indeed!