Birds On My Fire Escape

Songbirds and Social Distancing

Where I live, unless it is particularly cold outside, I am greeted each morning by a pair of songbird-style birds who treat me to music during the sunrise as they perch on my fire escape. At one point, this greeting was literal, because when I first moved in, I would wake up and see them looking at me through the window like, "What kind of creature are you?"

Occasionally, they bicker, but they mostly get along. Seeing them more throughout the day instead of just in the morning, and seeing pink flower petals blooming on what were once naked branches across the street, give some of the first signs of spring. 

I see these birds enough to call them neighbors. And, judging from the dance I saw them doing some weeks ago, one bird on top of the other with wings flapping and a slightly awkward variation of their usual song, perhaps a remix or a special edition, I suppose I know which one is male and which one is female, and I suppose baby birds will come into the world in the near future. 

While all of us are practically primarily homebound, and practicing social distancing and heightened hygiene, I am pleased to say the birds have also been doing the same. They don't invite their friends over anymore, they clean under their wings, and I have noticed them leaving only to stock up their food supply; whatever that is they bring back to eat. And, I have also noticed the male bird, the one who was leading the dance I mentioned, seems to be getting rounder and rounder and more tennis-ball shaped with each passing day.