One of the nicest things about living in an undeveloped area is the abundance of wildlife, especially birds. I'm an early riser, and like to sit outside in the pre-dawn darkness, waiting for the day to begin. The birds begin their day with a variety of calls and songs. Some are marvelously complex, sung as if from a long score of written music. Other calls are seemingly simple, until careful listening identifies subtle variations in tone and period. One wonders if they listen to and comprehend each other, or if each species only understands its own unique language.

Unlike our neighbors, we are very careful to limit tree cutting, and plant trees in areas lacking them. Trees cool the area, provide shelter for all kinds of small critters, and stabilize the soil and watershed.

One interesting thing we have concluded is that sparrows are city birds, that associate themselves with human populations. When we first moved here it was wild, with few people, and no sparrows. Over the years, as population grew, and the area became more "civilized" the sparrows moved in. I believe it is because sparrows find the pickings good in the cast off materials of humans.

Our house is quite ordinary by American standards, but by local standards is quite extraordinary. A massive 2-storey structure, masonry construction, with huge sliding glass doors that allow us to open the place up to the ocean breezes. The doves, which spend most of their time on the ground like pheasants and quail, have had a hard time with our house. They fly into the glass doors, hitting them with a thud, and knock themselves silly. Doves, like chickens, fly only when being pursued. Perhaps they think they can fly through the open door space, and cannot see the glass door until it is too late.

We have learned to recognize the sound of a dove collision, and rush to pick up the survivors. We place them in an intensive care cage, where there is food and drink, and they are safe from predators (including our cook). We currently have two patients in there.

I wish we could find a safe way to get a closer look at the birds here. There is a wide variety of them, some spectacularly colored with impressive plumage. Our birds are too wild to even know what a feeder is, so our observation of them depends on vigilance, and binoculars.