San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
Tapping of tiny birds a welcome spring wake-up call each morning
There’s always something new here on Mt. Hoo.
This time we have a unique alarm clock.
It’s state of the art, self-powered, dependable and accurate. It’s small, weighing about as much as a standard sheet of paper. We hope it’s only seasonal. Our new alarm arrived as a harbinger of spring. Every morning, like clockwork, at the crack of dawn we are awakened by the gentle tapping of a pair of bushtits on our bedroom window. These tiny little birds have become our morning timepiece, like it or not, but frankly it’s hard not to awaken with a smile at the delightful tapping sound, because it signals that romance is in the air.
These common, year-round residents are the smallest songbirds in the region, but not easy to miss due to their gregarious nature and animated habits. The flocks are delightful to watch as they swoop into a bush, bounce around and even hang upside down while foraging for tiny insects and spiders.
They are nearly ubiquitous from coastal slopes to the inland mountain tops, but fewer in number in the deserts at the eastern fringe of the county, where flocks may visit in winter months during nonbreeding times.
Readers may remember that this is not our first nearly nocturnal notification system.
I have written previously about the muttering army of marching quail that provide a similar purpose as they covey up during warmer summer months.
Since we sleep with windows and screened doors open in warmer months, we are gently brought to consciousness every morning by the gentle muttering that quail make to keep track of each other as they emerge from the native chaparral and march past our bedroom window en route to seeds or water that we offer.
But the bushtits are a new thing.
Typically, these energetic little insect eaters travel in flocks of 40 or more, dashing from shrub to trees in unison. This is what makes them so visible.
Males with black eyes and females with gold eyes bounce around in the vegetation, and the whole flock vanishes in a feathery cloud as quickly as it arrived. That’s why it was a surprise to see only two, and at the same place every morning.
As spring arrives, a primal stirring tells the tiny birds that it’s time to pair up, build a nest, mate and ensure the survival of the species by producing a new crop of chicks.
At this point, the mated pairs leave the flock and set off on their own to find a suitable nesting location.
I am hoping that they have selected the dense trumpet vine growing at the corner of the house as their nesting spot. Bushtits easily adopt residential plants, often nesting in broad-leaved evergreen shrubs.
I’ve tried to peer into the tangled thicket, but so far, I have not been able to locate the bag-like nest the bushtits construct.
In the meantime, they seem intent on serving as our morning alarm clock.
But what are they really doing? As with most things, there is both science and mythology to answer this question.
The bird scientists will tell you that the window pecking is most likely something you will see during breeding season and is an attempt by the paired bushtits to drive away the competition that they see reflected in the glass.
This attempt to drive away rivals can become all-consuming, so it has been suggested that you cover the window to allow the bushtits to resume their normal activity.
The mythology of window tapping goes deeper to heart.
Various legends or spiritual beliefs attribute the tapping to the arrival of good news, a message from someone in heaven, impending transition, looming financial problems, or that you are about to meet someone kind and supportive.
I know how the tapping of the little bushtits makes me feel.
It’s a special connection with nature. They gently tap and often just sit on branches and peer into the window.
Like true love birds, the pair often sit closely together, perhaps content at having found each other, and a bit anxious about the task ahead.
It’s a lot of responsibility contributing to the survival of a species. I think the mighty little bushtits are up to the task.
It’s a glorious time here on Mt. Hoo. I completed remodeling the little house wren nest box just in time. With a new camera installed and a fresh coat of paint, a male wren began the nesting process by placing a few twigs inside.
He then began to sing and has apparently attracted a suitable mate, and the pair is now actively completing the nest.
For those who would like to follow this wondrous event, visit my Ernie Cowan Facebook page where we will be livestreaming periodically to keep viewers up to date.
The colorful hooded orioles are back and feeding actively at nectar feeders, and this morning I enjoyed the aerial show of two adult red-tailed hawks as they circled and soared in the warm morning air.
As the last year has proven, humanity will continue to create both good and evil, but we can find comfort in the consistent metronome of nature as it faithfully ticks on and on.