Diary from the Grammercy Place Garden Cafe: Living with Birds

September 3 with Birds I Do Not See

September Morning by Yvonne Battle-Felton

It is morning. Sky is soft blues and greys. Air is cool. There’s a gentleness this morning that rustles leaves, sways branches, and carries leftover rain and birdsong. I do not see any birds this morning. But, there is chirping, twittering, chittering, and whistling coming from there in distant woods, there in nearby woods, and here within the shrubs.

At the café, everything is wet from early morning rain. There’s a thin layer of rain in the water bowl. If not for the seeds and grit with it, I would leave it for the café’s guests. Instead, I empty it into grass that is not waiting for it. I refill it with leftover tap water. The food bowl looks pink as if it has been painted with leaves. Instead, it’s the residue of the pink pellets the café guests seem to like. It has dissolved in rainwater like watercolor. I empty it onto the grass and imagine it soaking into roots. Turning them and next year’s grass pink. I put it back near the edge of the tray. When I came back from Scotland the water bowl and food bowl were both empty. The food bowl was off of the tray. Even the mini café had been moved. Everything looked that little bit out of place. Guests were quick to return and maybe that’s why the café looks right this morning.

Still, the grocery store was out of the seeds I ordered yesterday and so today, I worry what little beaks will eat. I pack the food bowl and mini café with sunflower seeds. The pft, pft, pft sounds different but they pft, pft, pft anyway. I pile nuts and nuts and nuts onto the tray. Pile raisins in between the food and water bowl. I tuck nuts into the well-worn basket that looks even more worn today than it did yesterday. For a nest with no guests, it is unravelling. Not on its own. I imagine beaks and paws have something to do with it.

Robin whistles while I work. Robin is not alone. According to the app, Robin is joined by Martin, Sparrow, Wren, Blue Tit, Bearded Tit, Flycatcher, Great Tit, and Woodpigeon. Later, I will go to the store to shop for seeds to feed guests I do not yet see.