backyard birds

October 5, 2026

Sara Kate Wilkinson

Sara Kate Wilkinson

— 3 min read
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October 5, 2026
Bird of the Day: this particular American robin. He was pretty amusing.

Where: around my complex and the one next door

When: 4:50 pm

Bird Species: house sparrow, blue jay, gray catbird, American robin, American crow, European starling, northern mockingbird

Things I Thought About:

  • Looking at a mockingbird and thinking about the lullaby when they buy a mockingbird for a baby they are trying to make go to sleep. Can you imagine a worse choice?
Buy a baby a mockingbird to hush it; the baby will never get a word in edgewise again. Look at all that beautiful blue sky today, though.
  • “Papa's gonna buy you a blue jay,” maybe. The two that have been around all month are screaming again.
  • Papas in lullabies are insane. They buy babies goats. They put cradles in trees.
  • What in the world can the Hush, Little Baby lyrics be about? Probably some sort of European succession conspiracy.
  • I feel like a couple of them are about plague? Ring Around the Rosey," I think. And I think Sing a Song of Sixpence is about the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII? And more than a few are about Mary, Queen of Scots. 
  • I truly love shit like this. If I had infinite money and time, I’d do nothing but read and study folklore all day. Baa Baa Black Sheep is about a wool tax, did you know.
  • I would also try to perfect a good pastry dough. Read folklore, bake pastry, doze, volunteer at the nature center, sit on a balcony and look at words and birds. That could be a good next twenty years.
  • Too bad I will have to work until I am dead. 
  • Why does that robin look like that? I wonder if he’s been in a fight. 
  • In the lyrics to “Who Killed Cock Robin,?” it was a little sparrow, with his bow and arrow.
  • Goosey Goosey Gander is about venereal disease.
  • I believe all of these originate with the Tudor-era England. Most American ones are just counting rhymes, but every now and again we threw out a banger like It’s Raining, It’s Snoring, which is about a catastrophic head injury.

BOTD: American robin. I like it when I see a bird that looks a little busted. It doesn't seem to faze them at all. He was flying around just fine, but he looks like he's had a pretty trying day.

Doesn't he look like someone took a bite out of him? Almost certainly just and autumn molt, but he does look a little skittish. I liked him.

There was a painted bunting recorded at the refuge I was at last month, and I had the day off and could have gone looking if not for this foot. I damn near wept.

Man, but it was beautiful out today, though, even just sitting outside, and walking around the nearest sidewalks. I hope everything in my Achilles is behaving as it should; I would love to get a pair of sneakers on and get out a bit more this weekend. Fingers crossed and good vibes.

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