Subject: [Tweeters] And a Partridge, in a Pear Tree...
Date: May 1 07:52:32 2016
From: Jeff Gibson - gibsondesign at msn.com














OK, so it wasn't the second day of Christmas, but I did receive, from my True Love, "a partridge in a pear tree, and two Turtle Doves". Almost anyway. I'll explain the details of what really happened.
The True Love I'm referring to is Mother Nature - who has always been here for me with her unconditional affinity. I do have other True Love's too, but they're too personal to mention on Tweeters. Some of my nature experiences are also a bit private - "None of your beeswax", as they say in Entomology School.
Ol' Mother Nature, however, is the major thread for us even having a conversation here on Tweeters, right? Oh, sure I tell stories here on my post's, but always stay true about my nature experience facts - really! So I should say that I didn't exactly see two Turtle Dove's yesterday on my job site in a yard outside of Port Townsend? They were actually coo-coo -cooing Eurasian Collared Doves. Loud and beautiful, and also an" Invasive Species", as my friends Bill and Bob pointed out the other day. Bill said ," yeah, I know they're an invasive species, but they are sort of beautiful and interesting. I know I hate it when people call me an invasive species, even if it's true. Especially if it's true"
" It is true" Bob kidded. "I know I can't stand it when you try to one-up me on bird ID issues, or wake me up too early ". Bill flipped Bob " the bird" as we say here on Tweeters, but did it in a nice way.
Anyhoo, Collared Dove's aren't too dissimilar to Turtle Dove's. Just check out your Sibley, or whatever.
Flapping forward to more natural history fact, I didn't actually see a Partridge in a Pear Tree, so you can forget your possible Jefferson County tick for a misplaced Hungarian. No, it was an almost partridge, in a not quite pear tree. The bird was actually a California Quail , and the tree an Italian Prune , the fruit of which promotes regularity for people and possibly other animals. Just a little health tip there. Of course it is April, and no fruit on the tree.
Moving on from prunes, I was startled when the Quail blasted out overhead from the nearby prune tree, with the noticeable wing sound that such birds create in flight. I don't know about you, but I associate quail with the ground -typically seen running - at a forward tilt - in a sort of endearing way. I don't often see them in a tree. That was a bit unusual, for me. Another pleasantly surprising gift from nature.
Jeff GibsonPort Townsend Wa.