AVIAN FAST FOOD

Here at the end of a sunny day, a mob of little green uguisu (warblers), solo elegant songsters in Spring and seldom visible throughout the year, are scouring my plum tree for every bug they can find, and they seem to be making a good living at it, the tree is full of satisfied chirps.

Nearly the same color as the leaves and not much larger, they whir up and down, in, out and around among the branches like large cheery bees, very hard to spot in situ though, where they tilt and hang like leaves themselves, searching under and over every surface for their dinner.

The plum tree doesn't mind this crowdy intrusion into its private life at all, rather seems the more to stretch out its limbs to their furthest reach, so as to provide greater access for the welcome removal of insect annoyances.

I step out from the doorway: a whirry cloud rises from the plum greenness and moves on to the waiting cherry tree nearby, much as the mind drifts to another thought.

Now where was I...

[scroll down on link to hear uguisu songs]