The Birds, Part III

First of all, let it be noted that expateek is NEVER going to be one of those Bird Ladies who stands out in Trafalgar Square feeding the pigeons. Oh, sure, she's got the big baggy black coat and the queer little hat. But she doesn't live in London anymore, feeding the birds in Trafalgar is totally illegal these days, and she hates pigeons with their beady little glowing red eyes.

*shiver*

On the other hand, she is inordinately fond of birds. She's spent a lot of time outside lately, watching the birds in her neighbor's back garden. Over the Christmas holidays, the neighbor filled up his bird feeder, and birds flocked in. A pair of woodpeckers, some magpies, sparrows and all sorts of other twittery little things.

Bird identification? Not expateek's strong suit.

It was all lovely for a few weeks, and every time expateek went outside to sneak a cigarette have a bit of fresh air, she enjoyed the spectacle. She thought about her failed New Year's resolution while listening to the happy chirps of all manner of birds. She rationalised that she would re-adopt said New Year's resolution once the stress of moving countries was behind her.

And then? Mr. Neighbor apparently forgot all about his little feathered friends. The feeder's been empty for more than a week now, and expateek is thinking about calling PETA.

Of course, if she called PETA, she would also have to report that every single woman in Poland has a fur coat.


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