Now that I’ve finally gotten around to replenishing the bird feeder, the sparrows and finches are back, but they didn’t come back alone. There is a pair of mourning doves that hang out on my back porch, under the feeder. I don’t know if they just like the company, or if they’re interested in the spillover. I’ve even seen these two birds in the birdbath, which is on the other side of the house. This is the first summer they’ve spent so much time so close by.

Joining all this commotion just outside my door today was a lone crow, who seemed to want to take over the whole operation. I have no particular problems with crows in general. It’s not as if I’m growing corn out here or anything. But this character, who is really too big for the feeder anyway, has been chasing the other birds away, and spraying seed all over the place.

So today I started chasing the crow away. It kept coming back, so apparently the message isn’t getting through yet. I actually wouldn’t mind if the crow weren’t so obnoxious, both to the other birds and to those of us who don’t think a noise like Phyllis Diller’s laugh is something we want to listen to all day long. I love all creatures great and small and all that, but let this one go back to his flock, please.

Something is also going on beneath that porch, because there is fresh dirt turned up daily just below the feeder. Whatever animal is digging up my yard (and won’t that make it easier to plant wildflowers if he just keeps going), the birds like the overturned dirt as much as they like the feeder itself. They are forever walking around on it, up and down the outside of the trench. Even the doves, who you’d think would be above it all, seem to think this is just the coolest thing ever.