BIRDS: Feathers of wisdom

I live on North Maple in Hayden. I feed birds and watch as a hobby, made my 3 acres a good habitat, planted lots of cover and food trees — fir, spruce, wild cherry, etc.

The the past three weeks, I’ve had a flock of 50 to 100 gray little birds. According to my best research, which could be wrong, they are Grey Vireos and should be in North Mexico this time of year. Does anyone else have them in Hayden or Coeur d’Alene?

Also for years, gray ring neck pigeons have fed here. Where do these pigeons roost or who owns their coot? We used to have 30 some days, but during the last two years only four or five at any one time.

We have great neighbors here on Maple. We look out for each other, Democrat or Republican or whatever. We give each other rides, have keys, watch chicken coops (we have raccoons who are hard on chickens).

Watching out for each other… It is a good way to live. “I have your back, you have mine.” “Love your Neighbor as yourself” — with a loaded shotgun by the door in case raccoons tear into chicken the coop.

Why hasn’t this idea of good neighbors caught on worldwide? It is nice to know the neighbors care.

Birds are more fun than the White House, and are probably more important in the long run. Violence is no help.

BOB SHACKELFORD

Hayden