A reader named Alberto recently responded to my lament about the silence of the blackbirds so far this spring (bulletin: I heard two yesterday evening — but the dawn is still voiceless). He said he was thinking of making a video of their concerts.
As it happens, I was so enthralled by the morning recitals last spring that I recorded loads of them. Here is a sample — which I have taken to listening to in the meantime, just so things will seem more normal. Click here 11042001.
I wonder if playing this really loudly at 4:00 AM would encourage at least one to give it a try. Or maybe they’re on strike. If so, they’re the only creatures in the old bel paese, except me and Lino, that have never gone on strike at some point. I suppose there’s something noteworthy about that. I wonder if I should put “Never gone on strike” on my resume.
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ah, well, the blackbirds have been out in force on Sant’Erasmo, you know! Maybe the city birds have gone to the country?
and…. the vaporetti to and from Sant’Erasmo don’t ever go on strike (well, not all of them…)
just some of the reasons why we isolani feel a bit superior….
just sayin’…
I can honestly say that I’m trying my best to take care about how I spend my time. I’ve learned to praise it’s value and I find it precious now.
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Your birds are waking me jealous! We have all these finches that sing in the morning, enjoying the trees and tidal creek that divides our neighborhood, but now, thanks to daylight savings time, we’re waking up to their warm up band: an unbelievably large number of frogs. They’re cute in their own way, but just not the same!
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I share your love of the blackbirds. One house we lived in here had a huge garden where a pair made a nest. We watched mom and dad teach the baby how to dig through the leaves for bugs and worms.
This morning I realized that they were not singing at sunrise. I’ve lived in Venice going on 8 years, and I never noticed that there came a time when they didn’t sing. I don’t think they migrate from here, and I was afraid something had happened to them, so I did some research. They may not migrate, but they sing only between January and July. It’s their way of establishing territory.
This year, when it was very hot and dry, they were eating my tomatoes to get water.
I have a lovely video of one singing from above my terrace last year.