I know. When you say someone is "twitterpated," you're describing them as goofy with love. Besotted. Wiggly and squiggly. All that good stuff.Not this time. This time I'm using the term to describe a curious phenomena that has been taking place in the maple tree outside the kitchen window. In that subdued twilight time between sunset and full dark, there are what surely must be a kajillion sparrows flitting about the branches of the maple, well-hidden by the leaves, and they're all talking at once! I'm here to tell you, a kajillion birds speaking in unison are LOUD -- and it's all twitters.
Don't ask me what has them so excited. I don't have a clue. Maybe it's some kind of convention and they are enjoying their cocktail hour. Yeah. That's your typical cocktail party -- everyone has something to say and nobody is listening.
I'd have been happy to take a picture of the gathering for you but it's really hard to see anything but leaves. Once in a great while, one of the sparrows pops out of the tree as though it's been ejected and then it dives right back in again. No time for any candid shots.
Fortunately, I was able to use the above picture of a house sparrow that I downloaded free from here. Interestingly enough, the site is simply called "copyright-free-pictures.org.uk/." And I appreciate them. I think it's wonderful they were able to photograph a sparrow that was behaving in a calm, sedate, mannerly fashion. A sparrow that wasn't -- uhmm -- twitterpated.
7 comments:
I LUV 'twitterpated'... :-)
Dee, funny you would use that word today. Yesterday, my almost 4-year-old granddaughter used that word to describe two butterflies playing with each other in mid-air. 'Course, she had been watching Bambi but I was impressed.
Perhaps they are meeting to discuss getting Ralph to move out of their neighborhood? :-)
Did you do today's blufr? They got me again! Don't think I'll use toothpaste again!
We have that here too! Our willow is very thick so we can't see what is going on and if I get close, they all get quiet, as if they are talking about me and don't want me to hear. I leave and it starts up again. I'm just glad it's not an everyday thing. It's pretty loud.
Ava
Yup, John. Definitely sounds like you're twitterpated. (grin)
Jo, you have a smart granddaughter there. I think she picked the perfect word to describe flutterby behavior.
Bonnie, I think Ralph has been on his best behavior but you know how mob mentality works. (smile) As for Blufr, I doubt we'd necessarily get the same questions. It throws stuff up on a random basis for each person. And it's mean. Really mean.
Ava, I agree about the decibel level. It's hard to believe when you consider what tiny little birds they are.
I just love sparrows. They are so cute and yes, quite vocal when they are of a mind.
They do that at dusk, when they're settling down for the night. Don't ask me why -- I'm not a sparrow behavorist. I just know a lot of birds get into that behavior at dusk, as they're settling in for the night. Maybe it's the avian equivalent of reading a good book until you get sleepy ...
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