Wednesday 10 June 2015

when birds sing

What a WONDERFUL day!  It's glorious out there, for sure.  The sun is shining, the breeze is soft and the birds are singing their songs. Ahhh...

Do you know that song? The one that goes like... uh...  Oh, what a beautiful morning.  Oh what a beautiful day. You know that one? Surely you do.  Well let me tell you, that song was written about  a day like today.  Today is pretty much perfect.

Now if any of you haven't heard that song, you don't want to hear Peep #1 sing it.  There's nothing beautiful about that at all.  MOUSES!

And speaking of singing, I can tell you who does sing well.  Birds.  Yup, birds...  they were made for singing.

But speaking of birds, have you ever noticed how many bird haters there are out there?  How many peeps who really and truly hate birds?  Especially songbirds.  What did a songbird ever do to them?

I have to admit, sometimes the bird haters are hard to spot.  They're tricky, you see.  Tricky and conniving.  Kind of like weasels.  MOUSES!

Now here's the thing.  Most of the bird haters pretend to like birds.  PRETEND.  And they're good pretenders.  That's why they're so difficult to spot.

These bird haters join various groups and societies and purport to be the PROTECTORS OF SONGBIRDS  everywhere.  They tell everyone who will listen that they like birds.  LOVE birds!  Especially the songbirds.  And because songbirds are beautiful, it's difficult to imagine anyone disliking or hating them, so of course, other people believe that these so-called bird lovers are, in fact, on the side of the birds. They believe that they're on the up-and-up but you and I know better.  We can see through their feathers as if they were gossamer wings.  MOUSES!

These so-called bird lovers write long diatribes about songbirds being killed by the thousands, if not millions, by cats.  They write to newspapers and magazines and when on-line, comment on each and every like-minded Facebook posting they can find.  They often exhibit almost troll-like behaviour.  Some even do 'studies' although, IF we were to study those doing the studies...

Hmm...  Well let's see...  Why not?  Why not study the bird haters, themselves.  Let's put them under the microscope for a change.

Unfortunately, none of them will actually fit under my microscope as it's less than one foot tall. MOUSES!

But we can still study their behaviour so that cats and peeps out there can see the bird haters for what they are.

These bird haters claim - as loudly as they can - that the number one cause of death to songbirds is cats.  Either house cats who are allowed out or feral cats who live outside.  They pull various statistics out of their hats and if not wearing hats at the time, ears, and complain bitterly about the atrocities being committed by cats.

Now let me tell you, I have NEVER ONCE seen or even heard of a cat committing an atrocity.  People on the other paw...  MOUSES!

What the bird haters fail to mention are all of the other studies.  Studies done by very reputable scientists.  Studies that have found that the use of chemicals such as pesticides, habitat loss, pollution and global warming, to name a few, play huge roles in the demise of the songbird.  HUGE roles, for sure.

I have proof of this in my very own garden.  Proof.  PROOF POSITIVE, for sure.

My peeps don't use any chemicals in the garden.  Not a single one.  No chemical fertilisers or herbicides and there is not a pesticide to be found.  In other words, my peeps aren't poisoning the birds directly with chemicals, nor are they starving them to death by killing all the insects that insect-eating songbirds need to survive.  MOUSES!

And for the birds who prefer to eat seeds or fruit, Peep #1 plants things that will feed them, too. There are crabapple trees and roses and russian olives for fruit.  Then that hedge thingy she calls a ladybug bush because she doesn't know it's real name but the ladybugs like it a lot.  It was there when the peeps moved in and spreads like a weed but produces tonnes for seed for the chickadees. She even grows honeysuckle for the hummers.  MOUSES!

Birds need shelter, too, so my peeps make sure there are plenty of shrubs and trees.  Some really high and some not so high, so as to provide a little variety.

Now here's the proof part.  Even though I live in a multi-cat household and we cats are all allowed outside in our own garden, our yard is FILLED WITH BIRDS.  You should hear them when they're all in song.  It's like a symphony.  A symphony of song. Peep #1 says she hears way more birds in my yard than in any of the other yards around.  MOUSES!

So how can this be?  The evidence in my own backyard flies in the faces of the bird haters and their so-called studies they enjoy bandying about. FLIES IN THEIR FACES!!!

If it's true that cats are the number one killer of songbirds, then my backyard is an impossibility. The bird haters say you can't have both birds and cats at the same time and yet, WE DO. MOUSES!

There are, however, no mice.

The reason why my yard is possible is because my peeps have managed to eliminate two of the real killers of songbirds, pesticides and habitat loss.  She provides homes for the songbirds with trees, grows food for them, doesn't kill off the insects that are a necessary food source for many and doesn't poison the birds, either.  Take away those two real bird killers and she has created a garden filled with song.

But peeps, as a species, tend to want to do the easiest thing possible and they NEVER want to accept responsibility, especially when it might adversely affect their own behaviour.  Thus, their tendency to blame cats.

IT IS MUCH EASIER FOR PEEPS TO BLAME CATS FOR THE DEATH OF SONGBIRDS THAN TO CHANGE THEIR OWN WAYS.

And this is why I believe these so-called bird lovers are really bird haters, in disguise.  By blaming cats, people have no reason to change their own behaviours even though the behaviours in question are the TRUE KILLERS of birds. But if peeps don't make the necessary changes in their habits and practises, THE SONGBIRDS WILL DIE.  You cannot find a solution without first identifying the problem and the real problem is people, not cats.

Some people must really hate birds a lot to allow them all to die simply so that they can continue to live as they please.  To continue to pollute the environment, cut down all the trees, use tonnes of chemicals in their yards and not put a stop to global warming.  How selfish, indeed.  MOUSES!

31 comments:

  1. Even though our Jezebel was a world class bird hunter back in her outside years (which weren't dat many), we always had plenty of burds around!

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    1. Yup, it's true. Cats and birds can live together very happily, indeed. We don't catch many, if any at all. Peep says I caught a quarter of a bird last year. Maybe - MAYBE - a third. purrs

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  2. * STANDS AND CHEERS *

    Too darned right Seville!! I am so tired of these bird lovers blaming cats as the only killers. It is humans who kill most and kill birds fastest.

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    1. Peeps really are responsible for the songbirds dying. So very cowardly for them to blame cats instead of accepting responsibility themselves. purrs

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  3. Very very well done and well said, we at the ARC have lots and lots of birds as well, and there are a few more cats here than at your house Seville, so more proof to add to the pudding, or is that the songbird yard.

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    1. More proof indeed! EXCELLENT. Now about this pudding. Is it nip-flavoured? Any nip at all? Even a little garnish? Just wondering... purrs

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  4. Those peeps are worthy of a full scale #IdiotAlert Mouses!

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    1. I love that! We should start that hashtag trending. purrs

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  5. I am so glad your Peeps are doing things the right way, Seville. So much better for the birds. Peeps have to start somewhere.

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    1. They sure do! Happy to say that MY peeps are two of the good ones. purrs

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  6. Seville, you make so much sense! Bravo! Bravo!

    It's true ... lots of peeps are so good at pointing fingers, but bad at being accountable and responsible. MOUSES!

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    1. Yeah, you give a peep opposable thumbs and what do they do with them? Point! MOUSES! purrs

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  7. Well reported Sivvers, very well indeed.

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    1. Thanks so much Savvy. I know this is a topic near and dear to your heart. purrs

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  8. You're so right Seville,Mummy doesn't use chemicals either,so we have lots of birds and wild tunneling bees living in our garden,xx Speedy

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    1. Chemicals really do kill. Peeps need to stop using them, for sure. purrs

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  9. OMC, that is about the BEST post on this topic I've ever seen! I mean, we all know that humans are the cause of songbird populations going down, but you so eloquently explained it that no one can deny it.

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    1. Aw shucks. Thanks Summer, that really means a lot. Especially coming from you because I remember Nissy telling me about a post Sparkle once wrote about Bird TV. He thought it was AMAZING. purrs

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  10. You have stated the truth wonderfully well. A tip of the hat to you, sir!

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  11. Whiskers, Matriarch of Mischief11 June 2015 at 11:07

    Wow! Wonderful post, Seville. You've bopped those bird haters on the head with this one. Good going. We agree. In fact, we hide under furniture and watch from a distance the birds who land on our balcony. AND Rondo conducts a chorus of birds and kitties at sunrise.... as Grammy's wake up call. We love birdies on their scrawny little legs, not on toast.

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  12. Great post. Our neighbor cat Jack is outdoors but he leaves the birds alone - he hunts voles and mice instead.

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  13. Your garden is beautiful ; we're glad your Peeps are going "green" and gardening the right way. Purrs

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  14. dood...all burd jokes a side

    { just for two day tho ☺ }

    ...we couldna a gree mor....what we reel lee find hard ta listen two.... iz them peepz that say ...we saw de kitteh take de burd rite off de ground N run off with it.....

    pardon uz for statin a kittehz own down falls...

    but two date, we haz never seen a kitteh...fly....

    unlezz that "burd" wuz lamed in sum manner, noe kitteh haz ever had de a billa tee... ta sneeks up & catch up burd bee fore him takes ....FLIGHT

    N more burdz be strucked down by high risez, window glass N planes then we can count...
    mor burds be strucked down by ther own predators like hawk, eagle & owl, than we can count

    we hazz werds for thoz peepz....but we will keep em ta R selvez sinz thiz bee yur blog ♥♥♥

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  15. Gweat posty Seville. Yous so wight, da peeps kill faw more of everyfin than us kitties do. Have a gweat day.

    Luv ya'

    Dezi and Lexi

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  16. I agree with you. Poor cats get blamed for the death of birds and it is more humans causing these deaths. We don't like those chemicals people use on lawns.There is one catbird my hubby wouldn't mind letting the cats get to though. He was stealing the few honeyberries my hubby has waited 3 years for the tree to get fruit.

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  17. You're so right. The biggest killer of birds is humans. But it's a lot easier to blame cats than take responsibility.

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  18. Furabuluss bloggie Seville!!
    LadyMum says there are nopestysidess used here an shee tries to keep thee littul garden nice an shee doess put seeds down fur thee birds. Housin said no more bird feeders so LadyMum said shee will sprinkull on thee ground what iss freeo f contaminashun!!
    An LadyMum says katss onlee mite eat a birdif they were hungree an how iss that diffreint frum Hu'manss eatin beef??? ;)
    Sum people just have nuffin bettur to do then cause trubble!!!
    **nose bumpss** Siddhartha Henry xXx

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  19. Great post Seville! We so agree, that beans cause more harm than any kitties Mom bean lubs the birds too so has set up a bath and feeder for them and refuses to cut down the dead tree that bugs lie to live in. We kitties lub to watch them from our sunny room.

    We is sure you is making Nerissa proud with your words of wisdom!
    Sasha, Sami & Saku

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  20. Wowzers! Well done, Seville! We've never bought into the cats killing the birds stuff. Our Mumsy has fed and watched birds for years. There are feral cats she puts food out that climb all over the place while she's refilling the bird feeders. They've never killed one bird out there. Hey, the Mr. Hawk has gotten more than any cats around here has gotten!

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I love hearin' from my pals. I really, REALLY do. PURRS.