Through An 'Old Timer's' Eyes
By Howard 'Mac' McDonald

The days of summer are fading away and, like the old song says, "and the days grow shorter when you reach September."

Usually our September days consist of bright warm sunshine and cool, clear nights. So far this September, because of the tropical storms the days have been cloudy and dank.

The fall flowers are blooming in all their brilliant colors and the vegetable gardens are declining at a rapid pace. The apple trees are branch-heavy with fruit and soon apple pies will be the main dessert. The sunflowers are as big as dinner plates, soon to yield seeds for the bird feeder.

One of the joys of living in our locale is that we get to experience the changing of the seasons. Soon our hardwood forest will be ablaze with the color of the leaves as the Master Painter touches them with his magic brush. The harvest moon is shining, lighting the night. Our hearts should be bubbling over with joy, but with the religious war that is raging the world over, it is not easy to enjoy our bountiful lives.

Soon the skies will be filled with the migratory birds. Nothing seems to signal the coming of winter more than to look up and see a wavy "v" formation of Canadian honkers noisily making their way south. Their uncanny navigation skills take them back to the same location every year. To really get a good look at these amazing creatures just stop some evening for an ice cream cone at the Mountain View Bowling Alley and see the flock that summers at Lyon's pond.

This week I have noticed the flocking of doves in our neighborhood. My guess is that they'll soon be on their way.

One hearty bird that winters in our locale is the pesky and obnoxious crow. His song is hardly pretty. He can steal about anything and is considered the most intelligent bird alive.

Most birds fly under 3,000 feet, but I have seen geese at 20,000 feet and they have been known to fly over the Himalayas in Asia at more than 29,000 feet. I wonder if these high flyers have an oxygen tank on their back?

Usually in the spring when the robins arrive, we will have a snowfall. I always felt sorry for them as I always thought that they were returning here to nest from their warm southern climate.

My sympathy was a waste because, in my bird book, it tells that they winter in the far reaches of our northern states. They live out the winter in the bogs and wet lands, living on winter insects and seeds..

Have you ever watched a robin gathering worms to feed his young? His eyesight and hearing must be very sensitive. They cock their head to one side as they listen for the movement of their prey and then, with lightning-fast speed, they grab the worm at just the right time. They apply just enough pressure to get the worm out of the ground and they never seem to break it.

I am not a fanatic about bird watching, but enjoy seeing them at the feeder. Some of them scratch most of the feed out onto the ground and then they dine on the seeds that they have left in the feeder. The sparrows and the chickadees don't seem to mind eating off the ground. I have noticed that when the larger birds come to the feeder, they will bully the smaller birds and chase them off while they feed. Blue jays and cardinals seem to be the biggest bullies.

The return of the bald eagle to our area adds to the interesting animals and birds that we can go see without having to journey a great distance. We have other birds of prey. Several different kinds of owls are present and provide a service by keeping the snake population in check.

The other night, while dining at Charlie's, Tom McKimm (Short Legs) told us about being at the bridge construction site at West Creek, where he witnessed an osprey swoop down on the pond and snatch up a large palomino trout. Now that is something to see. Now and then, I see a hawk soaring above our yard, probably looking for a mouse or chipmunk.

One of the most sought-after game birds is the wild turkey. This wizard of the woods is one crafty bird. Calling in these birds takes skills that are hard to come by. Stealth and cunning are a must if you are going to bag a long beard.

A good bird dog is worth his weight in gold and can make a bird hunt so much more pleasant. One that is trained right will respond to hand signals and go where the handler is pointing. They come from all parts of the world. My favorite bird dog is the German short hair pointer.

Our state bird, the ruffed grouse, is a prize in the game pocket of your hunting coat. One of the toughest game birds to take is a woodcock. Only the best shots can his this fast-flying, zig-zagging speedster.

A beautiful game bird with outstanding plumage is the ring necked pheasant, which has to be stocked in this area. You can find it propagating in the southern counties. The ring necked originally came from China. The bobwhite Quail has the same profile as the ring necked pheasant and will not reproduce in this area.

So many beautifully marked birds make their summer home here. The goldfinch, the scarlet tanager and the killdeer are among our summer visitors. The killdeer makes its nest on the ground and if you approach it or her chicks, she will pretend that she has a broken wing and will try to lead you away. If this ruse does not work, she'll attack you.

The hummingbird, smallest bird in the world, lives only in the Western Hemisphere and there are over 400 different kinds. Only 19 species live in the United States.

Their wings can move 70 times a second and they can fly backwards, forward or to either side.

The end of a hummingbird's tongue is forked. the edges curl together and form a double trough, through which nectar is taken into its mouth. They come in many different colors and my favorite one is the ruby throated.

Except for cats, most bird watchers are humans. In Australia a bird watcher is a man and the birds that he watches are the young girls at the beach. Down under, a pretty girl is called a bird.

If I were in Australia, I would probably qualify as a bird watcher.