Penny Wilkes: The Antics of Sperry Como

Monday, March 21, 2016

The Antics of Sperry Como

In preparation for spring, a song sparrow has taken up residence in our yard. I heard him sporting his song; trills of wild and wonder.

Then he began to fly, flap and beak at my office sliding door and windows. He stood on the window's ledge and tapped. I sprinkled seeds and brought a seed container closer for his use. He ate a few seeds and continued to fly around in song and tap at the windows, wings aflapping.

The name, "Sperry Como" fit his singing moods. Why was he trying to get bird brain damage? Did he see a bird in the reflection and feel eager for a spring fling? Or did a narcissian mood call?

I taped three paper towels to the glass. They would wriggle in the wind to discourage his pecking. He scurried around them and tapped louder. This time he included a foot tap along with his beak.

Opening the sliding door to offer him a visit into my office did not attract his courage.

I searched the internet for the song sparrow Morse code. Nothing. Additional reading indicated ways sparrows define their territory in preparation for breeding but nothing about window taps. When the female first arrives, the male will dive at her as he does with any intruder but the female does not flee. Sperry's enchantment from the reflection must cause the behavior.

We discovered attaching slivery strips deterred him for a few hours. He returned to bring us a wake up call with song and taps about 6 a.m.

His taps found a rhythm. Tum de dum. Tum de dum. Tum de dum.

During my watering and caring for blossoms yesterday afternoon, he zoomed me but avoided the window.

I will continue to wander in the yard and observe the behavior he chooses next. I wish he could locate a live sparrow of his dreams.

Tum de dum. Tum de dum. Tum de dum. Da. Da. Da. He added a fourth tapping series.

Perry Como would sing it, "Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket. Never let it fade away. . . ."