Are you a bird person or do birds shudder at your approach?

-- Paulineee (paulineee_@hotmail.com), July 16, 2001

Answers

Response to BIrds

Alfred Hitchcock was right about the birds. They're out to get us. At least SOME of us. Me, for instance. Birds are uncomfortable in my presence, and they make their displeasure known. These flying devils (fallen angels?) are no fine-feathered friends of mine. I first became aware of how birds felt about me when my mother would take us to a pond to feed the ducks and geese. The big, white geese always assaulted me, honking their fool heads off, and paying particular attention to my legs, which they would peck repeatedly until I had to run away and barricade myself in the car. From there, I would watch woefully as my brothers and sisters went on their merry way unscathed. It was the same when I tried to return to the scene of the crime with my own children. The geese went into attack mode as soon as I approached them, despite the peace offerings of bread and crackers I tried to bribe them with.

Once I went into a pet shop with my mother, and there was a very large tropical bird on display in the back. He was magnificent, but as soon as I started to walk towards him to get a closer look, he let me know in no uncertain terms that I was not welcome on his turf. He started to screech shrilly, and wouldn't stop until I moved out of his line of vision. As soon as I stepped back into sight, he would commence screaming again. This imposing creature would also flap his sizable wings frenziedly, and give me extremely menacing looks. I was suitably intimidated, and kept my distance. Not long after that incident, I accompanied my mother to a County Fair. She dragged me into the fowl exhibit as an experiment of sorts. The warped woman wanted to see what kind of havoc I (or the birds) might wreak. As I walked past the cages of countless varieties of chickens/hens, geese, roosters, ducks, etc., the agitated squawking increased in volume until the cacophony became an embarrassment. Mommy Dearest found it all very entertaining, and would point out to anyone who looked our way (which was just about everyone) that I had a strange effect on birds, as I'm sure they had already noticed for themselves.

The most recent unusual experience with a bird (not counting the kamikaze seagull that nearly took my finger off on a beach in Virginia two weeks ago as it snatched a cheez doodle from the hand that was 2 inches from my mouth) took place in another pet shop. My 13 year-old daughter called me over to check out a macaw she was admiring. The bird was uncaged, but tethered to the perch, thank goodness. He (She? How does one tell the gender of a bird, anyway?) didn't make a sound, but became visibly anxious as I drew near. His head kept twisting around at an unnatural angle and he was hopping from foot to foot as if walking on hot coals, glaring at me all the while with bulging eyes . Finally, my daughter said "Go away now, Mom. You're making him very nervous." As soon as I left the area, Mr. Macaw settled down peacefully, and even allowed my daughter to stroke his feathers. For the record, this kind of reaction doesn't happen EVERY time I come into contact with a bird, but often enough to strike me (and any other observer of the disturbance) as odd. If anyone has a scientific explanation, (or even a cockeyed theory,) or similar experiences, please don't hesitate to share them.

-- Stephanie (stevie@idsi.net), July 16, 2001.

Well Pauline I take offense, birds are not dumb! Smarter than some people I know. :-) The minute one of our vehicles comes on our street they recognize it..windows closed air conditioner on. How do they seperate it from other makes exactly like ours?

One thing I have noticed in pet stores Stephanie birds react to bright colors and they seem to hate long fingernails brightly painted.

Birds also sense when you are afraid of them and will bully you by making biting passes. I know as Pookie does that to me quite often. They also react if you point a finger at them, it is a threat posture. Pointing a finger is I mean.

Now why the other foul reacted, maybe you smell funny to them. LOL Who knows, someone a lot smarter than me would have to answer that one.

-- Bonnie (texasbonnie1@yahoo.com), July 16, 2001.

Smell funny?????? I'll have you know that I (like Paul's grandfather in "A Hard Day's Night") am very clean! :)

-- Stephanie (stevie@idsi.net), July 16, 2001.

Well to tell you the truth birds are right smart little creatures. For instance they are very aware of the various forms of rock and more so at rock velocity. For instance if you take a smooth circular rock, take a deep slow breath and give it a good go, the targeted bird will wait until the rock is near on to home and just causally move to one side or another to avoid be thunked.

However you have that same bird there and pick up a dirt clod, man that critter will leave for the heavens in a heartbeat…. You see they know that unlike a skipping stone a dirt clod begins to come apart mid flight thus becoming clod shrapnel… and sticking around is worse that meeting up with a 11 year old with a bb gun.

Not that I have ever tossed a rock or leveled out the site of a bb gun when I was younger mind you… no I think I saw it on the Discovery Channel… yeah that’s right, the Discovery Channel.

-- Kid Crampton. (alice23@earthlink.net), July 27, 2001.

I'm not an expert in this field, but have noted the precision with which pigeons down town can white spot dive bomb a person in dark clothes. 'Tain't easy, but some bird's gotta do it.

-- Denver doug (ionoi@webtv.net), July 31, 2001.