Speaking of departing birds, I forgot to mention that early yesterday morning I saw a flock of geese migrating north. Geese, heading north in late May! The luxuriant rains and lingering coolness of this spring must have induced them to remain overlong in their winter quarters. Now they must fly north in the appalling heat which has descended upon us like a thermonuclear blast. When they reach their destination, they are apt to find all the best nesting spots already taken by birds less tardy in their departure. Too, they may find their nesting season too short for the proper maturation of their offspring, and be stuck too long in the north when winter begins, or be forced to fly south and abandon their next generation. Perhaps the flock will die off. Again, natural selection is harsh.
Oh, those damned little birds are still chirping. I'd rather hear the crickets. Now that the weather is so warm, those crickets who live in the shady parts of the back yard begin their song long before sunset, and those to the west continue singing until sunrise. Unlike these birds, the crickets have a sense of rhythm, and some variation in the volume of their sound. It's a sad day for the avian world when bird food sings better than birds.
Enough. I'll stick some cotton in my ears and try to sleep.