Dumb Birds

My football-watching session this afternoon was interrupted by a loud THUD that shook the picture window. Startled me so much I almost fell off the couch. Once I became fully awake I knew what it was without even looking.

This has been an unusually cold winter here in the Heart of Texas. We've put out three bird feeders to help our feathered friends get through these tough times. A large flock of doves has discovered them and comes by regularly to gorge themselves. They've gotten so fat they look like feathered footballs. And they are D-U-M-B dumb. The noise today was the fourth in the last week to fly into our picture window so hard that they broke their necks and died. Feathers all over the porch, and nasty smears and streaks of unidentified liquid all over the window.

We've had other birds attack their reflections in the window - cardinals especially, and especially during mating season (my wife just nods knowingly and mutters something about "Typical males.") But this winter is the first time any bird has launched itself in a kamikaze attack.

On the bright side, fat dove breasts stuffed with jalapenos, wrapped in bacon, and grilled over a nice bed of coals are mighty tasty. And I save on shotgun shells.