Baby Monitor Is For the Birds

We live a few blocks from the main drag in downtown Santa Cruz. We’ve had a large garden spanning the back of 9 houses for 25 years. We love ducks and have always had them here. They eat the snails, give us eggs and are so cunning. They have free range of the yard but not the vegetable beds. Even though we get females they seem to end up with names like Gary, Buddy and Duckie. At night they go into their house so the raccoons won’t kill them.

A few months ago, just in the gate from being downtown, I heard yelling by ducks and ravens. I saw a red tailed hawk with its broad wings taking off to the top of the telephone poll as if in slow motion. I looked around to see if the ducks were okay; we have three, and saw only two living. Under the orange tree, lying spread open was bright red blood and feathers and exposed breast bone.

The hawk was only doing what is natural but he took “one of ours”. We talked Carl out of shooting it but he isn’t one to give up on a solution. He bought a baby monitor and put it on the back of our house near the roof so we canhear if the birds are alarmed. The speaker for it is in the living room where Luke, Kyle, Carl and I spend a lot of time. Our computers are all within feet of each other. At first the noise was annoying. It felt like the peace I was wanting by being inside was being invaded. We hear amplified sounds. Sometimes its a kid skateboarding, an airplane overhead, dogs barking, a leaf blower, a conversation and other times it seems like an aviary in our house. Mockingbirds, jays, starlings, sparrows, crows, whoever, sing and talk and I feel part of their world. People spend lots of money for relaxation tapes with birds like these singing in their ears. There is a plus to that hawk coming!