By William M. Dowd
The bird calls were beautiful. Two competing yet harmonious sounds.
The odd thing is, it was in a grocery store.
There they were, perched high up in the girders enjoying a bird’s-eye view of the shopping aisles and any stray goodies that might be dropped at the sushi bar, in the produce section, or anywhere else on the premises.
This sighting came just several days after I’d experienced the same thing in a BJ’s wholesale discount store, and we’ve seen wild birds hanging around other places like Home Depot. Maybe I’m just beginning to notice the phenomenon, or maybe word is getting around the bird kingdom that taking up residence in such warehouse-style structures beats migrating in search of food and shelter.
You must have noticed the same thing. Any commercial buildings with high roofs and exposed support beams have become home to birds who wander onto the premises then become part of the scene. They twitter, sing and — regretably — defecate with glorious abandon on shoppers below.
At first we enjoy the sight and sound. Then we begin to wonder what it’s like after hours, when the crowds are gone and the lights are turned down low.
Do they fly down to stalk the aisles, do they turn on the sound system and party till dawn? If we wandered in before they had a chance to fly back to their high perches, would we experience what Melanie Griffith’s mom, Tippi Hedrin, did when she was pecked aplenty in Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller “The Birds”?
Let’s hope we never have to find out. Just as I hope the people who are now in the process of remaking that Hitchcock classic come to their senses. Some birds are best left alone.
(Posted 11/03/07)
William M. Dowd is a Capital Region writer and photographer.