Pondering the Call of the Catbird
The catbird sends his song through my open bedroom window, beginning in the very early morning hours—before dawn. His cheery notes invade my lingering dreams and the earliest glimmerings of half-formed thoughts. By midmorning he diminishes his efforts, perhaps not wishing to compete with the waking world’s noise, but he picks up again in the evening.
It is difficult to describe this song: burbling, meandering like a brook, digressive, lacking in structure, smacking of improvisation—more like jazz than opera. The warbling notes go up and down the scale, like a child practicing on the piano; it is as if they head up one hallway, turn and go down another. The song is full of stops and starts, phrases that go nowhere. It reminds me of the chattering of children on a morning school bus. The notes reverberate among the leaves of the understory shrubs and the ferns. And in my window.
But it is late June: surely the nest is built already, and contains its clutch of beautiful blue eggs. What then is the function of this wonderful music? Could it just be an expression of contentment? Could it be analogous to a happy person humming himself or herself through the everyday chores we all have? Could this bird simply be happy?
We tend not to dwell too much on the emotional lives of animals, first because it is so hard to determine such a thing, and second, because we might not want to know how similar they are to our own. But it has been increasingly established that all animals exist on a gradient in terms of emotion, feelings, and thoughts: it is not just humans that worry, fret, goof off, deceive, prevaricate, and celebrate. Animals are governed more by instinct, it is true, but they enjoy their lives as we do; they are not just robotic automatons.
Still, this bird’s brief life—perhaps two or three years—is full of toil and terror, effort and danger, constant threats that require total vigilance. He most likely had to migrate hundreds if not thousands of miles—perhaps all the way from the West Indies—to get to the woods behind my house. He then had to compete for a mate, investing all he had in that pursuit, and, afterward, assist in nest building, feeding the female and then the nestlings, as well as keeping himself sustained. All the while, there is a world full of hungry predators, eager to take him down and destroy his efforts of leaving future generations of catbirds in my woods.
In all this turmoil, is there room for emotions? Or is that turmoil all the more reason for emotion? To celebrate life, this moment, even as he recognizes its transitory nature.
I don’t know. Here I go again, wondering about the meaning of things: why can’t I just be content to listen? I don’t really know if this bird is happy. I only know he makes me happy.
Unicoi County Summer Bird Count finds 109 species, couple play host to special catbird
I wrote last week about how gray catbirds are often quite the characters when they take up residence in our homes and gardens. I received some confirmation about the unique personalities of some of these birds when I received an email from Doreen Lancaster from Abingdon, Virginia.
“We have an awesome catbird that we’ve made a friendship with over the last month,” Doreen wrote. “His name is Claude, aka Claudie Bells.”
Claudie sounds remarkably tame, according to Doreen’s email.
“Up until a few days ago, he fed from our hands all day long and would come to us when we called him,” she added. “He even walked into our house when we called him.”
Recently, however, she noted that Claudie seems distracted with making sure his babies are doing all right on their own.
“Now his focus seems to be finding a mate as he’s been singing a lot but ignoring us,” she wrote. “He’s such a special little guy who has stolen our hearts! I hope he sticks around all summer.”
The acquaintance with Claudie has given Doreen an opportunity to also acquire a lot of cool video footage of her visiting catbird. She shared several of the videos with me. They made for entertaining viewing. Some of the videos showed Claudie coming for treats, such as blueberries and raisins.
Claudie could get impatient when treats were not immediately forthcoming.
“My husband had a cool experience on the deck,” Doreen said. “He was on a business call and Claude came up to him wanting a treat. My husband ignored him and Claude came up to his bare feet and started pecking him until my husband acknowledged him and fed him!”
Claudie is a perfect example of what I meant when I suggested that some individual catbirds have rather distinctive personalities and inquiring minds.
Catbird-WhoTrainingWho
On a recent summer bird count conducted in Unicoi County, a total of 26 gray catbirds were found. This is not too surprising since the catbird’s a relatively common summer visitor in the region.
That particular survey – the eighth consecutive Unicoi County Summer Bird Count – was held Saturday, June 5. Nineteen observers in seven parties found 109 species. According to Rick Knight, the compiler for the count, the total is right on the average of the previous seven years. The range since the start of this yearly count has been between 104 to 112 species.
Participants included Glen Eller, Dianne Draper, Dave Gardner, Tammy Griffey, Don Holt, David Kirschke, Rick Knight, Roy Knispel, Richard Lewis, Tom and Cathy McNeil, Brookie and Jean Potter, Pete Range, Brenda Richards, Michele Sparks, Bryan Stevens, Kim Stroud and John Whinery.
The weather was good with a temperature span of 53 to 88 degrees, clear to partly cloudy skies and little to no wind.
I’ve participated on seven of the eight counts. I missed one of the counts due to a vacation in coastal South Carolina that conflicted with the date. Since the onset of this annual survey in 2014, I’ve counted in the Limestone Cove area of Unicoi County. I was accompanied this year by Brookie and Jean Potter of Elizabethton and Brenda Richards of Bluff City. Some of our best birds included yellow-bellied sapsucker, Eastern kingbird, fish crow and scarlet tanager.
The cumulative species found included:
Canada goose, 35; wood duck. 7; mallard, 24; ruffed grouse, 4; wild turkey, 7; great blue heron, 4; and green heron, 3
Black vulture, 2; turkey vulture, 32; sharp-shinned hawk, 1; Cooper’s hawk, 1; bald eagle, 1; red-shouldered hawk, 2; broad-winged hawk, 8; and red-tailed hawk, 5.
Killdeer, 17; rock pigeon, 52; mourning dove, 55; yellow-billed cuckoo, 2; Eastern screech-owl, 2; great horned owl, 1; barred owl, 2; chuck-will’s widow, 4; and whip-poor-will, 6.
Chimney swift, 31; ruby-throated hummingbird, 6; belted kingfisher, 2; red-bellied woodpecker, 13; yellow-bellied sapsucker, 2; downy woodpecker, 9; hairy woodpecker, 5; Northern flicker, 10; pileated woodpecker, 22; and American kestrel, 1.
Eastern wood-pewee, 15; Acadian flycatcher, 29; least flycatcher, 5; Eastern phoebe, 69; Great crested flycatcher, 4; Eastern kingbird , 1.
White-eyed vireo 2; blue-headed vireo 57; warbling vireo 2; red-eyed vireo 157; blue jay 62; American crow 97; fish crow, 1; common raven 9
Purple martin, 9; Northern rough-winged swallow, 10; tree swallow, 39; barn swallow, 48; and cliff swallow, 65.
Carolina chickadee, 47; tufted titmouse, 88; red-breasted nuthatch, 7; white-breasted nuthatch, 5; brown creeper, 2; house wren, 36; winter wren, 4; Carolina wren, 95; and blue-gray gnatcatcher, 20.
Golden-crowned kinglet, 7; Eastern bluebird, 67; veery, 16; wood thrush, 37; American robin, 285; gray catbird, 26; brown thrasher, 7; Northern mockingbird, 18, European starling, 225; and cedar waxwing, 38.
Ovenbird, 47; worm-eating warbler, 15; Louisiana waterthrush, 14; black-and-white warbler, 28; Swainson’s warbler, 9; Kentucky warbler, 2; common yellowthroat, 3; hooded warbler, 57; American redstart, 6; Northern parula, 36; magnolia warbler, 3; Blackburnian warbler, 2; yellow warbler, 1; chestnut-sided warbler, 10; black-throated blue warbler, 20; yellow-throated warbler, 6; black-throated green warbler, 36; Canada warbler, 7; and yellow-breasted chat, 2.
Eastern towhee, 73; chipping sparrow, 72; field sparrow, 11; song sparrow. 187; dark-eyed junco, 30; scarlet tanager, 31; Northern cardinal, 102; rose-breasted grosbeak, 4; blue grosbeak, 2; and indigo bunting, 104.
Red-winged blackbird, 61; Eastern meadowlark, 8; common grackle, 53; brown-headed cowbird, 19; orchard oriole, 4; house finch, 18; American goldfinch, 31; and house sparrow, 12.
Monarch, Catbird and Postino Open in Dallas
Monarch
Monarch, situated at the top of luxury high-rise The National, is a swanky restaurant offering 360-degree views of downtown Dallas, an open-kitchen concept and modern Italian cuisine by two-time Michelin-starred chef Danny Grant. The menu includes surf and turf dishes such as whole Maine lobster spaghetti and salt-crusted sea bass, Texas wagyu strip steak and Alaskan king crab. A two-story conservatory with a grand spiral staircase, floral-patterned wall coverings and a whimsical chandelier are hallmarks of the space.
Catbird
Inside the Thompson Hotel, Catbird boasts a glamorous restaurant, lounge and rooftop bar. Upon entering, guests are greeted by an art-filled salon featuring wood herringbone floors, hand-painted de Gournay silk wallpaper, bespoke velvet sofas and an underlit blue agate marble bar. On the outdoor deck, fireplaces and panoramic Dallas skyline views await visitors. Chef de cuisine Jeramie Robison’s eclectic menu offers savory bites such as Thai chicken skewers, smoked bone marrow and brussels sprouts with chili lime seasoning. For those with a sweet tooth, there’s Catbird S’mores, which come complete with a tableside flambé show.
Postino
Wine café Postino welcomes patrons in Deep Ellum with the slogan “drinking wine at lunch is not a crime.” Open for lunch, happy hour, dinner and weekend brunch, the restaurant and bar prides itself on using local ingredients and products. Focused on shareables and “Snacky Things,” the food menu includes 12 types of bruschetta, a variety of boards, pressed paninis, soups and salads. A thoughtful list of hard-to-find wine selections, local brews and craft libations are, of course, on offer. Postino’s interior, which features mid-century modern furniture, vintage chandeliers and an art installation dedicated to Dallas, pays tribute to Deep Ellum’s rich music history with a decoupage wall of vintage concert tickets.