October 1: Skunks

fall constellations

in the backyard

holes dug by skunks

September 9: Red alert

When we hear the crows making a racket in the yard, we never know what we're going to find back there. Sometimes it's an eagle up in a tree, sometimes a hawk or an owl, and sometimes a more terrestrial creature.

 

after crows harangued

the fox over the river

chorus of crickets

August 23: Quintet

Writing about crows

when five crows appear

on my neighbor's lawn

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August 15: Deceit

We don't think of Blue Jays as mimics, but they can imitate other birds, especially hawks, surprisingly well. The ones in our yard pretend they are Broad-winged Hawks, Ospreys, and Red-shouldered Hawks on a regular basis. You have to pause and listen carefully to be sure about what you're hearing.

 

Fog hides the mountain.

Unseen hawk's piercing call

or is it a blue jay?

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July 10: Peas

out on the back porch

shucked peas plinking

into a tin bowl

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June 18: Out back

Singing house finch

doesn't know he's harmonizing

with the river.

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June 12: First thing

On the back porch

drinking in bird song

with my morning coffee.

 

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June 7: Blackflies

So solicitous

of my gardening chores--

blackflies.

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May 4: Bulbs

Backyard greening--

planted before we lived here

tulips bloom once more.

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April 13: Nesting

Watching hopefully
as a pair of Wood Ducks
checks out my backyard trees.

February 21: Memory of food past

four crows on one branch
looking in my window
once we gave them food

November 2: Visitor

strange cat in the yard

seems transfixed by the maple

the power of gold

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October 25: Flock

Clamor of crows out back--

am I part of the crowd

or even more alone?

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October 6: Hurricane tracking

wind in the oak trees

acorns rain down like hail

we don't know what's coming

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August 27: Cicada

Backyard, late summer--

learning a new kind of music

from cicadas.

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August 22: Prey

Shrew in the cat's mouth

has such a cute little tail.

We let it escape.

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August 12: Meteor shower

More falling stars tonight

than acorns falling

on the neighbor's roof.

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July 23: In the green temple of our backyard

Rumbles of thunder--

ash tree becomes oracle,

birdsong litany.

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July 12: Sparrow

heard over the lawnmower--

sparrow's repeated song

such a hopeful sound

July 6: Tiger lilies

Drone of a lawnmower,

hillside covered with lilies.

Try to stop thinking.

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