Having joined FaceBook recently, I became the recipient of one of the questionnaires that get passed around there. It’s a pleasant enough exercise to fill out for oneself. I enjoy reading the ones my friends have filled out, it helps one to know and understand them a little better, particularly friends that are distant and I have been out of touch with. The question that provoked my thoughts on this post was, “What is your favorite sound?”
I couldn’t just pick one. There are many I enjoy. This is not exhaustive and today is not the day to wax poetically about rain on a tin roof, the laughter of children or the sounds of the sea shore. I'm thinking about bird sounds today, as you probably guessed from the title.
When we first moved to Central Florida my parents chose a home in a subdivision that was quite wooded, this in itself was in contrast to most of the newer neighborhoods that they looked at. There were pine trees and old oaks in abundance. I remember falling asleep to the sounds of a Mourning dove cooing, though I had no idea at the time what kind of bird was soothing me. Which is ironic when I consider how many times I rocked out to a certain song, the lyrics saying, “Just like a white-winged dove, sings a song, sounds like…oooh, baby, oooh, said oooh.” How pleasant it was to fall asleep, or wake up with fresh air and the sounds of the doves wafting in on the breeze.
There are many doves around here. However, until recently I was not able to hear their gentle song because of the sounds of another bird: The noble rooster. Roosters seem to polarize, they are either loved or hated. They are most abundant in Key West, and less so here in the middle Keys, but their presence has been steady since we moved here about 10 months ago. (You can read more about Keys Roosters here, if you like.) I personally enjoy their crowing, though I will admit to threatening one particular fellow who begins his “sunrise” at 2:30 am, if he‘s in our yard while crowing! Most nights this doesn’t even bother me, but on sleepless nights, when I’m sick, or restless or grouchy, I have threatened to ring his neck and put him in my pot! The sound of a faraway rooster crowing is comforting; the sound of him right under your window is “alarming”. For now though, I don’t think I’ll have to worry about it since I have not heard the rooster for a solid week. Wonder what happened to him? I can guess…
3 comments:
Loved reading your post - I can totally relate. i love birdsong! Although, fortunately the only roosters around my neck-o-the-woods are across the river and so I only hear an occasional DISTANT crowing.
My husband & I have so enjoyed the cardinals that wake us up lately. I very often hear one about 6:30 or 7 a.m, just outside our window and consider it such a blessing. Like you, my hubby particularly loves the cooing of the morning doves which we hear in the warmer months.
Incidentally, I'll be posting some bird photos from our trip to central Florida last week on Facebook. I could spend weeks birding in FL because they are so different than what we see around WV. I felt lucky to see a red-winged blackbird and identify his lovely voice.
Thanks Amy. I will have to check out the cardinal sounds on that website, I can't say I'm familiar with them, though we did see plenty of them in Central FL. I will look forward to seeing your pics from your trip. I never saw red-winged blackbirds in Central FL, I only saw one for the first time down here last summer! They are beautiful birds!
As one has said before "it was right tasty." Now, I don't know for sure if that was the fate of your rooster, but it seems logical.
We smoked 100 Boston Butts a few weeks ago along with 9 slabs of ribs. Come to think of it, a chicken or several would have been good along with the other delicacies.
I do love to hear the birds singing their songs; there are so many to choose from.
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