Bob and flutter. Bob and flutter. It’s a warm, sunny morning. The sparrows are lined up around one of the foil water pans on our patio. One ducks his head down into the water, then flutters his wings. The rest follow in rapid succession. Almost like the wave at Fenway.
Three foil pans sit close together, but the sparrows cluster at one. Is it part of a social ritual to drink and bathe together? After the sips that refresh, a girl plunges into the pool. She thrashes her wings, then hops back onto the curled foil edge. As if she’s shown how cute she is, so now it’s time to preen so a boy sparrow will notice her. Other birds follow her in this ritual.
When I left around 10 a.m. for the grocery store, the second pool was starting to fill. I wanted to stay, to observe more. But even more, I wanted to avoid the New Year’s Eve party shopping rush. When I returned at 12 noon, the pools were empty, even though sun still glanced off their surfaces.