Today I was confronted with several new backyard friends. The first is the robin, now well ensconced in my trees, who has earned my loyalty by eating a ton of moths. A thing I did not know about Albuquerque when I moved here is that every 6-7 years there is an exact set of conditions over the winter and spring that mean that there aren’t very many wasps or bees, and an absolute explosion of large moths. Every night, no matter how well I think I’ve shut up my place, I find myself having to capture moths and throw them out the back door. I don’t really want to kill them, as they’re far too bumbling and stupid to kill out of hand the way I kill the roaches. But also unlike the roaches that always die thanks to my landlady’s rigorous schedule of pest control, the moths just flutter around and slam into my lights. Like idiots. So out they go, night after night, as I wait for the mothpocalypse to finally end.
So the robin is the true hero, because day after day I see it out there, mowing down on moths. Giant wings sticking out of its beak as it stares at me, standing on my fence. Robin, you are amazing.
But not quite my favorite. That honor goes to the baby rock dove. I don’t know if it hatched in my yard or one of my trees (where do rock doves hatch? In rocks?), but its fluffy little fat self seems happiest on the rail of my fence. It sits there, huddled, until one of its parents arrive to feed it. Sometimes it will fly down to pick at my yard. When it does this, it will often hunker down when I come outside, like it thinks I can’t see it. It’s adorable and grumpy and hates that it has to share my back yard with me. Its parents, constantly hovering nearby on power lines or on fences, are more cautious, but even they will let me get fairly close before flying away.
I don't have the time right now for a pet, so having these birds with their grumpy personalities and fluffy little bodies is a real treat. I’m hoping that there is birdseed at the grocery store soon, so I can start feeding them too. Maybe I’ll order some online if I can’t find it there. I want to spoil these little idiots, even if the robin at least doesn’t need the seed at all.
Edit: now with a photo of Baby Rock Dove!
