The yard is quiet for a change. No more air battles between contending cardinals or rumbling robins. No more mad dashes to and from feeders to keep the cheeks of the baby birds filled and no more panhandling from the starlings and grackles. The eerie cry of the catbirds is also gone. They, too, have moved on.
Instead, there is an occasional buzzing sound around the sugar water feeder as a tiny hummer dips his bill in the sweet nectar; and there is the evening song of the little wren and the chatter from a small flock of dazzling yellow gold finches.
For birds, the chore and demands of raising a family now shift into the mode of survival. The young are on their own. It’s now every bid for himself. Yes, all is quiet on the bird front as they prepare for an arduous winter when food and water may become scarce and predators take their toll on yearlings.
I plan on helping a bit by keeping my feeders filled and my birdbaths clean. For now, though, it’s nice to have a little peace and quiet.