The Corpuscle

Three weeks ago, I helped out my backyard pal, Ozzie the Northern Cardinal, by putting up a little personal ad for him.

Hi. My name is Ozzie. I'm maybe one years old. I have a nice territory in the East Village. My interests include flying, singing, long walks on tar beach, and collecting twigs and strips of paper. Interested in meeting a nice northern cardinal lady about my age, with an eye toward settling down. Love kids. My favorite date is exchanging songs, flitting from branch to branch after a pretty lady, extending my crest for her, and giving her food from my beak. Come by my territory some time and say hello.

Well, this evening I heard his song out back, had a look, and there he was in his favorite singing spot at the top of a tree... with a very pretty lady cardinal only a branch or two away. He flitted down a few branches toward where his nest is hidden in some shrubbery two backyards away. The lady flitted after him. He went a bit lower. She followed. Unlike the lady he dated a few weeks ago, this little birdie was clearly interested.

So anyway, after a bit more courting, the two of them disappeared into what I now take to be the conjugal foliage. Well, after all, it is Friday night in the big city...

Hmm. It's been awfully quiet out there for the last half hour or so. I get the distinct impression Ozzie's spring has finally sprung.