May 31, 2004

Among the regular visitors to my new apartment is a mourning dove that I've taken to calling Dovey.

Dovey is a very dignified bird and, unlike those nervous little sparrows, is polite enough to drop by even when I'm sitting out on the balcony. The others fly up, but if I'm out there, swerve away when they see me. Sometimes they'll land on the railing before they notice me. Then they just give me a dirty look and fly away.

Not Dovey. She has too much class for that sort of thing. When she lands on the rail while I'm there, she just looks me over. As long as I'm not making any sudden moves or strange noises, she just ignores me and goes about the business of filling her belly and scattering birdseed all over the place.

I don't mind her making a mess. Once I go back in, the sparrows usually come along and clean most of it up for me anyway.