The Mafia Woodpeckers

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I wake up every morning wondering with amazement what bird will visit today.  I find my loafers and slip them on as I walk towards the deck and check the bird feeder to make sure there is ample food. I return to the living room chair, where I have positioned it to see the deck fairly clearly.  As I sip on my coffee, the Mafia Woodpeckers arrive and set up shop.  They spread out around the bird feeder, and they talk to each other, verifying who will eat today. The flock of sparrows, finch, and songbirds arrives, and the Mafia Woodpeckers allow them to eat.  They are allowed to eat only because one morning, the sparrows, finch and, songbirds got together and pecked at the Mafia Woodpeckers and scared them. Nowadays, the Mafia woodpeckers watch as they eat.  They will return later in the day.  

The blue jays arrive and swoop down in twos and spar with the Mafia woodpeckers.  They give the Mafia Woodpeckers a run for their money, but the Blue jays realize they have been beaten, so off they go.  

In the meantime, I can hear the two doves vying for a perch on the power pole.  Once they stop fighting, they wait for the coast to clear, so they can eat.  Today I had a few band-tail pigeons who came by to visit.

The Mafia Woodpeckers (Acorn Woodpeckers) are busy with the dead trees, snags around the property.  These trees give value to the birds which I have learned just by watching.  Here is something fascinating.  The abandoned nest sites of woodpeckers are inherited by songbirds that are less adapted (or not at all) for excavation. 

Bird watching is an awesome hobby that is beneficial to your health and happiness.  Here are a few of the top health benefits of bird watching.

• Appreciation for Nature - Bird watching inspires a harmonious union with nature.
• Patience - Bird watching requires plenty of studies to get familiarized with types of birds and where they are found, then time to travel to that location, then hours of waiting to catch a glimpse of a bird.
• Quick Reflexes - Bird watchers have to be ready to seize the moment after long stretches of inactivity.
• Mental Alertness - A bird can be here and gone in the blink of an eye.
• Cardiovascular health - Bird watchers sometimes walk many miles in search of a certain species of bird.
• Upper Arm Strength  - Bird watching in forests or other low-light locations requires birders to use larger and heavier binoculars to let in more light.

In this fast-moving world, bird watching comes as a gentle breeze of relief. It is a hobby that can really transform your life. It enhances the positive energy within you and makes you appreciate nature. Your heart will be filled with joy.  Nothing can be more ecstatic than watching the beautiful creation of nature that is Birds.

Let me leave you with this quote - No matter what yesterday was like, birds always start the new day with a song.

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