Mommy, a Chickadee

Mitchell was excited as he looked out the window. Mom and dad had given him a bird feeder for his birthday.

      "Thanks...thanks," he said. "Now I can feed them all year round."

      "What kinds do you think will come to eat all that fancy bird seed we bought?" his mom asked.

      "My favourite, mom. Chickadees. And I hope some sparrows too."

      Each day Mitchell fed the Chickadees that came to eat his delicious black-oil sunflower seeds.

      Their white chest and black caps on heads were easy to recognize as they flew from their nest to the feeder. And back again.

      "Are they ever afraid of squirrels and cats, dad?" Mitchell asked.

      "Cats, yes," His dad explained. "Sometimes they try their best to catch and eat birds. Squirrels might even chase them away from the food."

      Mom joined Mitchell at the window. "Also other birds enjoy the nuts you mixed in with the sunflower seed and scratch," she said.

      "And the beautiful blue jays are so large they also scare away smaller birds," added his father.

      "They better not bother my chickadees," Mitchell said.

      Mitchell began to keep watch from his window. "Scoot! Scoot, bushy face!" he yelled through the screen. The squirrel's nose wiggled quickly before he dashed away.

      "Scat, cat!" he called again through the screen. And the cat meowed unhappily before she slunk away.

      But the biggest pests were blue jays, just like mom had said. They were bolder and all the noises from Mitchell did very little to discourage them.

      They would fly to the top of the fence and crack open their seed. Then they would head back for more of Mitchell's bird treats. It was as if they dared him to chase them away.

      Their bright blue and white feathers fluffed in the wind. And their beaks kept on pecking until Mitchell could stand it no longer.

      He was going to stand guard all day if he had to. How could his chickadees ever come around when there were so many food-robbers bothering them?

      This time he stood right beside his feeder. He would make sure the noisy Blue Jays would stay away.

      Mitchell also wanted to make sure the chatty squirrel came no more. At least not until his friends had something to eat.

      He would also make sure the nosey cat would stop scaring the chickadees with their hungry stares.

      But the chickadees still stayed away. He waited and watched and they still did not come. At dinner time he felt sad.

      Later in his room he still felt unhappy.

      Once again, he decided to go back outside and keep watch. Still no chickadees returned. He checked to make sure the squirrel was not around. Nope.

      And the cat and Blue Jay too. Not there either.

      Mitchell was confused. Finally, he asked mom and dad why his friends weren't coming back.

      "Look in the next yard," they answered.

      He did just that from the kitchen window. Another bird feeder?

      Mitchell saw the cat watching from the side of Mr. William's house. He even spotted the squirrel nibbling beside a tree.

      And pecking happily at the feeder was a Blue Jay. It seemed everyone just moved from the back of his house to the neighbour's yard.

      "How come?" he said out loud.

      Suddenly the Blue Jay flew away. He must be full, Mitchell thought.

      Darting quickly from the cover of branches a chickadee flew to the feeder. It picked up a seed as it spotted the cat, then flew away.

      Another soon landed.

      Between pecks they kept watching the squirrel. Then he flew higher to a branch, his hunger satisfied.

      Mitchell was confused.

      He thought he had been helping his friends. It must have been himself scaring away his birds. Maybe he should just watch and leave the birds alone.

      And leave the cat alone, too. Maybe he just wanted to watch the birds like Mitchell.

      What about the squirrel? Perhaps it was more interested in eating than scaring the birds.

      This time he quietly waited and watched from the second floor window. Two Blue Jays came back to greedily peck and peck, then left again.

      The cat strolled by, then sat on his haunches.

      Even the squirrel was bold, rushing forward and running off with some of the seeds.

      And the chickadees returned.

      They still watched carefully and looked away after each pecking motion.

      They even flew up into tall branches when the Blue Jays arrived for more. But the chickadees returned when the larger birds had their fill.

      Mitchell was happy as he noticed the way in which they all shared.

      He felt proud to know so many depended on him. He would make sure there was enough food for everyone.

      His bubble of laughter burst into a song -

"Hooray my friends,

You came back, again."