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Saturday, May 18, 2013

I don't want no stinkin' worm

I love to hear the birds singing.
photo credit: Chris Gomersall

But not before the crack of dawn.

That is downright ludicrous!

The weather has changed, which means it is conducive to sleeping with the windows open. One particular robin sits in the tree right outside our bedroom window and wants to sing his heart out at approximately 4 a.m.

Sunrise was at 5:30 this morning. I checked. Why the heck is this bird singing 1 1/2 hours BEFORE the rising sun?

They say that the early bird gets the worm.

I don't want no stinkin' worm!

Plus if this guy is singing so loudly, he's not going to get the worm either. He's waking up all the other damn birds in the neighborhood, and there's going to be a whole lotta worms being eaten.

I did a little research and found out that male birds like to sing out strongly in the early hours of day (ahem) to say that "This is my turf. And this is my gal. Stay away."

According to Paul Handford, evolutionary biologist at the University of Western Ontario, "It is a little like calling out their name, over and over again......a daily advertisement of their continuing tenure." And the reason birds sing so loudly in the morning? Their song is more consistent. (cited)

Okay. I get it. It's the robin's turf.

Blah, blah, blah.

It's MY condo. You don't hear ME screaming those words out every morning.

You don't hear ME screaming - "THIS IS MY HUSBAND!"

Geesh.

I'll strike up a deal with you, Mr. Robin. I'd be willing to walk up and down our block with a megaphone telling every bird that this is your turf, IF you will stop singing at 4 a.m.


Oh. And I'll be walking around about 8 a.m.

That's a more reasonable time.

For all our sake.

Deal?

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21 comments:

Danica Bridges-Martin said...

Too funny! I swear I was going to write the same post!!! I love the birds chirping in the morning, but we have one that needs a clock, late at night & in the 5 range it sings just outside our bedroom window! :) Danica

SquirrelQueen said...

I love to hear the birds sing but I'm with you on this one Pat. Why do robins always want to yell before the crack of dawn.

Valerie said...

I watched a TV programme on this subject. Apparently here in the UK the robin and others are affected by light pollution .. street lights etc. Heehee I know the feeling!

Brian Miller said...

hahaha another youtube moment...i want the video of you with the megaphone...lol....love the bird song, just hold off til at least 6....

JoJo said...

LOL!! A couple weeks ago I put up a facebook status that said, 'Dear Morning Birds: Y U so noisy??' It's gotten better now that it's lighter, earlier. When I was a kid there was a mockingbird that would sit either on our chimney or the phone wire outside my window and sing at 2 AM, but only on very hot/humid & still nights. Kept me up and drove me nuts. I was like, 'killing a mockingbird is a sin, my ass!'

Unknown said...

I agree; those birds start singing too darned early!!!

Gail said...

And roosters don't wait til sunrise either!

Adam said...

I had a bird singing terribly on the top of my roof the other day. I thought he got in the attic for a minute

Ami said...

Stupid birds. The comment about the early bird just proves the worm should have slept in!! The loudest ones we have here are robins, too. But I'm up at five during the week, so it doesn't annoy me out of slumber... I'm already up too damn early.

Post pics of you with the megaphone, will you?

Ami said...

PS... I thought after looking at the title of this post that it was going to be one about the worm in the bottom of a bottle of tequila.

I have to say I'm relieved.

katie eggeman said...

The woodpeckers who come to our feeder always knock early in the morning. tat..tat...tat....
Katie atBankerchick Scratchings

Maude Lynn said...

You crack me up!

Lynn said...

Light pollution? Maybe, but then again...roosters crow pretty much all night long from what I can tell. They go to bed and get all settled in, and then they crow. Then they wake up well before dawn, and crow, repeatedly, until the sun is high in the sky. Maybe they have nightmares. Who knows?

labbie1 said...

Hah! Perhaps if it is a male bird, Jim should be out with the megaphone? :)

Teresa said...

LOL! I'd like to sleep with my windows open, too but the "fresh" air doesn't do me any favors. Plus, all that open window stuff and inviting people to come inside, just not my thing - especially while I'm sleeping.

Nice to have some time to try and catch up on my reading.

wenn said...

it's nice but could be irritating too..

Carletta said...

We had a bluejay that sat on the back off one of my porch rockers outside our bedroom window a few weeks ago that kept 'talking' to himself in the window.
It wasn't birds for me but last night in the wee hours it was frogs in the coy pond. Talk about screeching!!

AiringMyLaundry said...

I am not a morning person either. I would not like to be disturbed by a bird.

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

LOL! It could be worse. Last year for about a month we had a woodpecker who hammered on a metal (yes, metal) post outside our window every blessed morning. We thought he must be insane (and he was nearly driving us there)...then we found out that the louder noise the male makes, the more it attracts females. We were all praying for some female to be dazzled and I guess it finally worked. Either that or he broke his beak. Thank God he didn't choose our pole this year.

Christine said...

LOL! It sounds like a very reasonable deal you have offered. If he doesn't take it,...
I have no idea. Good luck!

Anonymous said...

I'm printing this post and posting it outside my bedroom window!