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| Mexican Jay |
When Denis and I used to spend the first part of June in a cottage up in the Mule Mountains outside Bisbee, Arizona, I got used to a very raucous wake-up call. In summer, daylight is early in the Sonoran Desert. By 4:30 AM, the sun is up, and-- depending upon where you are-- it's pleasantly cool. A lovely time of day for those who love to get up early.
I've often said that I love watching the sun come up-- and I do-- but I'm a night owl, so I prefer to watch the sunrise before going to bed. But my normal sleeping habits went out the window when we were down in Bisbee, thanks to a large family group of Mexican Jays that would fly into the scrub oaks surrounding the cottage. Their blaringly loud conversations and disagreements woke me up every morning, and that's all I needed to rise and shine.
Denis has hearing loss, so the noise wouldn't wake him up. He'd snooze away, and I would tiptoe around, fixing myself a simple breakfast and taking it and my book and camera outside to relax and watch the world wake up. It was the best time to critter watch, and I never tired of it.
You'd think that those Mexican Jays would make a confirmed night owl growl with all their noise so early in the morning, but they didn't. I always woke up with a smile.
Aww, how lovely, Cathy! And a much better wake-up than any alarm clock, even for a night owl. Now me, I'm about as morning a person as you get (OK, I do need my coffee, but....). So for me, that would be a joyful way to wake.
ReplyDeleteIt is. :-)
DeleteI can't imagine a better alarm clock than bird calls. Even raucous jays!
ReplyDeleteI hate alarm clocks. Avian wake-up calls are much much better!
DeleteWhat a pleasant pro-nature way to be awakened. And what a nice photo. I wish I heard birds as a wake-up call, not my alarm clock. For awhile, birds had much to say in the spring as they alit on the roofs of my building and the one next door. But this hasn't happened recently. But I really am interested in what they are discussing and disagreeing about.
ReplyDeleteI hate being awakened by an alarm so much that I trained myself to wake up a few minutes before it goes off so I wouldn't have to listen to it. If it ever does go off, it usually means I'm ill or not sleeping properly.
DeleteWhat a great memory, and photo - thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! :-)
DeleteLove it! We have a western scrub jay that likes to hide peanuts in our yard; they're such fun birds to watch. Someday I'd love to see a Mexican Jay.
ReplyDeleteDenis and I used to go up to Black Canyon Lake in the White Mountains (Arizona) and feed peanuts to the Stellar's Jays.
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