There are not many types of birds that frequent my back yard on a regular basis.
What I do get are mourning doves, pigeons (which I have finally given up trying to rid my yard of), hummingbirds, Bullock’s Orioles and House Finches. (This is for the present. The winter mix is a bit different.)
There is also an occasional roadrunner, as well as the occasional hawk which finds the bird feeders a place to find a sure lunch. (The hawk rarely succeeds, but I have seen it score a time or two.)
By far, the House Finches are the most plentiful birds to frequent our feeders.
Our pets include two cats and a dog. One cat is a bird hunter. I argue with myself over my feeding birds to “lure them in” for my cat to catch. But the fact is that the only ones she catches are House Finches. Why is this? The birds are not very smart. This does not mean that I do not try to deter her, chasing the birds away when I see she is in stalking mode, or trying to save the ones she gets (a couple a week, but the death rate is very low), but sometimes I think they have it coming. (I realize how stupid I am to make such a statement online. If you want to yell at me about animals, go somewhere else. No one loves animals more than I do.)
House Finches eat anything. This includes the hummingbird food and the oriole food. I do not really mind this, but one component of oriole food is grape jelly. Finches to not have the intelligence to eat it delicately, so they get it all over themselves. I have seen them stuck to the feeder (no pictures–when I see this, my first thought is to rescue them), and have seen them bouncing around the yard because grape jelly is all over them. So I catch them (because they pass out when under stress–also making it easy for the cats to catch them), and give them a bath.
What I have learned in the process of saving all these House Finches this summer is that most of them are babies. Many cannot fly at all. There are no parent birds around. Just babies kicked out to make it on their own in a world of cats and grape jelly. Babies that would not survive if a giant human were not around to rescue them over and over. What are those parent finches thinking???
Then there are the Bullock’s Orioles. Unlike the House Finch youth who appear to get kicked out of the nest before they can even fly, the orioles feed their young when they are fully capable of feeding themselves and fly well. The orioles teach their young where to find food and how to get it.
So what does this have to do with human parenting?
A couple of weeks ago I was in a staff meeting at my daughter’s school. When I learned they were extending the school day by half-an-hour, I had to speak up.
Let’s just say I have huge issues with homework. I am not opposed to children bringing home the occasional (infrequent) homework because they did not complete their work in school (largely due to misuse of time) or a project, but schools have our kids for 7 or more hours a day. Tell me why they cannot get work finished then? I do not believe in homework just for the sake of it. Last year my daughter had spelling homework. I begged the teacher to give it to the students at the beginning of the day so they could work on it during their down time at school. This never happened. Most kids have time if they use it wisely. So during this discussion I raised my hand and said I would have to strongly object to homework if the school day were half-an-hour longer. Her teacher’s response was, “You are the only parent who does not want her children to have homework. Most parents beg for more.”
WHAT????
My incredulity was apparent. The replies were that parents do not know what to do with their children at home, so they want them to have more homework.
So it made me think of the birds. The House Finches seem to be the type of parents as some of the parents of children in my school. They have babies, send them to school and think their job is over. (Without me, at least twenty House Finch babies would be dead this summer.)
Forgive me if I see myself more as a Bullock’s Oriole parent. I have children, I spend time with them, I teach them things like responsibility and how to act (not that they always do it perfectly). I truthfully love summer and vacations because our schedule is more relaxed and we can do more things. This is not to say that I spend every second with my children. I NEVER play with my kids. I never have. OK, a little at the park (rare) and games and in the yard. But not once have I sat down and played dolls or Barbie’s with them. (I would probably have to shoot myself from the boredom.) They do those things on their own. They have lots of play time. But our together time is structured. We practice school subjects. We do crafts and art . Science projects. Exercise. Cook. Read. Once in a great while watch movies. My kids do not watch television at all or have any video games. (They do watch a short educational video daily during my shower.) During the summer about 2-3 hours per day of my time is spent directly with my kids. The rest of the day they know very well how to entertain themselves. Why? Because I taught them to do that.

This week's art project. These are "hippos" based on a 4000-year-old Egyptian sculpture. (I use books. I do not come up with this stuff on my own!)
This is not me being self-righteous or condemning parents who parent differently than I do. My choice of activities is personal to our family, but children are not just creatures to be ignored in hopes someone else teaches them (or saves them from the cat). Just don’t ask the school to oversee your children (extra homework) during the after-school hours and vacations. I do not want that for my children or my family. We have plenty to do here without busywork from school.
And I realize that working parents have a different kind of time with their children than I do since I am a stay-at-home mom. But all I can say is that if I were working and had just a couple of hours daily with my children, I would not want them to be doing homework during that time.
Note: This is not an attack on anyone. I know most of my readers with school-age children are amazing parents. This is more about me, my opinions and why I have those opinions.
July 22, 2009 at 1:37 pm
Well said. I totally agree. And I loved your pictures as I’m an avid bird watcher myself.
July 22, 2009 at 1:44 pm
I can’t really offer a strong opinion on the parenting debate, not being one myself but I wouldn’t mind betting that your children will grow up to be more well rounded and open-minded than those who sit at home doing homework every evening!
On the birding front, usually there is a direct correlation between how quickly a species reproduces and how much time they invest in parenting. House finches will often have more than one brood per season and sometimes begin a second clutch before the first has fledged! Also keep an eye on the birds at your feeders as House Finches are known carriers of avian conjunctivitis!
July 22, 2009 at 2:56 pm
Love the orioles. Wish I could photograph one…if I ever see one when I have my camera, I’ll try.
“You are the only parent who does not want her children to have homework. Most parents beg for more.”
Ha! Not this parent. And I can’t imagine other parents I know feel this way. Summers are easier because of no homework. If my daughter isn’t doing school work, then she has time to do dance, art, theater, the kinds of things she really enjoys. And those things involve learning, too. My guess is the teacher made up her mind, and whatever you said or would say wasn’t in her plans.
July 22, 2009 at 4:05 pm
Amazing bird shots-and very interesting tidbits along the way too.
July 22, 2009 at 4:20 pm
What a long and thoughtful post! I loved reading up on your birds, from the silly to the clever ones! 🙂 As for parenting, I think any of us who had parents who were always there for us when we were kids will be considering ourselves lucky in comparison to many others very soon, if not already. I see many kids in Sweden who have no idea how to play – all they do is toss things around and break anything in site. And there are no grownups.
July 22, 2009 at 5:05 pm
You know how I feel about homework. I share your opinion…
Your yard is just teeming with pretty birds! Love it.
July 22, 2009 at 6:26 pm
wow..what a post Louise..but you are always very interesting! Love the roadrunner…and the colorful birds!
Thanks so much for all the photos and thoughts, and also for your visit to my very ordinary little world…
love the photo of the little house on the prairie and sky behind it, below!
July 22, 2009 at 9:31 pm
Wow, I think you must be my twin sister! I like how you think and write, and the beautiful photography… just wow.
I’m reminded of a Tim Allen comedy bit. He’s building yet another bird feeder in his basement shop. His wife berates him for his propensity to build useless stuff. So he builds it one foot off the ground. Combination bird and cat feeder!
It was funny at the time.
July 22, 2009 at 10:16 pm
those finch chicks are lucky to have a human to come to their rescue when they are stuck. 😀
July 22, 2009 at 10:28 pm
You don´t play with your kids? Remember that boys are different, they keep on insisting until you participate. Girls might give up sooner. It´s a whole different world if you have boys or girls.
July 23, 2009 at 12:47 am
Hello dear Louise!
wow these birds pictures are fabulous! I loved your idea about the hippos sculptures.The colours are so vibrant!
Beautiful post, thanks for sharing!
God bless you
Léia
July 23, 2009 at 12:52 am
lately we are getting more and more birds in our yard, too. it’s a new area, so maybe the birds are just discovering it too…
July 23, 2009 at 1:07 am
Very thoughtful and well-written post. Although I don’t have kids, if I did, I would feel the same way you do about the homework.
Loved seeing the bird photos. I only rarely see orioles here, they’re such pretty and colorful birds. I have noticed the cardinals here are the same way towards their young, still feeding and “tending to” them even when they are as big as the parents!
The little finches are lucky you’re there. 🙂
July 23, 2009 at 1:09 am
First off, wonderful photos!
Second, it’s up to each parent to decide how to parent… I personally love playing with my kids as I’m a big child at heart.
I do agree with you about the homework issue – it seems so pointless to give homework for the sake of homework!
I have asked the English teacher to give one homework per week as we live in Sweden, so it is important to practise English. They also get reading and writing homework – just once a week and they have the whole week in which to complete it. That’s OK…
July 23, 2009 at 1:11 am
i hear you on every single count – now i can own up and admit that i dont play with my kids either, and yes, they have learnt to do this on their own or with friends in the neighbourhood in summer (in winter, there are fewer kids here, due to vacationing grandchildren from larger cities)
as for the homework greek school children have to do, here’s a post for you to understand what is expected of them (as well as what is not expected) – i hope you are just as horrifeid as i am
http://organicallycooked.blogspot.com/2008/11/influence-of-greek-education-system-on.html
July 23, 2009 at 1:15 am
ps: yesterday (and for the last three nights), after helping my kids with some craft work, i set about cooking the meal for the next day (i work during the day). they met up at the local park (across from our house) with the neighbourhood children – they all ended up coming to my house and playing hide and seek, dominoes and jenga. i carried on with my cooking, watering the garden and picking all the produce from it. at 9 o’clock just when it got dark, they all called it a day and each one went to their own home.
did i have to intervene? no.
July 23, 2009 at 4:57 am
You have some great colorful visitors in your garden, Louise. I really love the bullock’s orioles and the roadrunner. I’ve never seen them before. I know the roadrunner only from the cartoon.
You’ve made a wonderful comparison between the raising of house finches and children.
July 23, 2009 at 7:06 am
Louise: What great photos of some great birds. I did the same thing yesterday with birds but none as exotic as a Road Runner. Is the Wiley Coyote around also?
July 23, 2009 at 8:11 am
I know just what you mean about cats and birds. My cats catch the occasional bird and let me tell you, if my fat, slow, old cats can catch those birds – well, they were doomed. But, I love my yard full of birds. And I do put bells on my cats to try to give the birds a fighting chance.
July 23, 2009 at 9:26 am
Circle of life .. and all that
I always thought homework was given to reinforce what we learned in class … or it was when I was in school back in the Ice Age
July 23, 2009 at 11:35 am
Great photos. I love that roadrunner.. they look kind of goofy but I might be influenced by the Bugs Bunny cartoons. 😉
July 23, 2009 at 11:42 am
ROFL! I love your bird antics! And the fact that you rescue the dumb yet pretty little House Finches from jelly and the cat must keep you very busy. Hey, cats will be cats. Plus your analogy is right on. You obviously have a big heart and zest for life to pass along to your children. Too bad more parents don’t feel that way. There’s no doubt that having children is selfishly motivated. Yet it’s a privledge and responsibility that carries on throughout life. Good for you to speak out about the homework issue. What ever happened to homeroom when a student could work on unfinished classwork? Those of us working 8-10 hour days shouldn’t have to bring home our work. Not a good value to teach in my book. Family comes first.
The Road Runner on the wall is an awesome shot.
July 23, 2009 at 11:49 am
Very fine shots of the birds, Louise. I’ve enjoyed all of them. The black cat is pretty too!
July 23, 2009 at 1:37 pm
Some of our birds are raising several clutches each year now and show their young where food gardens are, then leave them.
Love your road runner, and the other birds as well.
As for playing with children, Laura Ingalls worked out her problems in play, while her parents worked or housekept.
Play is discovery time.
Love your blog.
July 23, 2009 at 1:56 pm
I liked the roadrunner and oriole pics, and I think you’re doing a great job as a mom! The thing I liked especially, is that you accept the parent’s responsibility and act upon your convictions. Your children will be blessed because of that.
July 23, 2009 at 2:30 pm
Yep, your cat knows the time-proven technique of lying in wait, which for a human, carries additional penalties…
My Kitty would just wait at the bottom of a fence and wait for Finches to land… In one swoop she would have a Finch, which if she could, bring into the bathroom and tear apart into a million loose feathers and god knows what if I didn’t catch her first…
July 23, 2009 at 4:02 pm
This is a gorgeous shot of the Wyoming storm! You surely captured the spirit as well as the view!
July 23, 2009 at 7:23 pm
[…] Thoughts on Parentingâ??Brought to You by the Finches and Orioles … […]
July 23, 2009 at 8:33 pm
Strange, storm made a beautiful picture.
I like the layers of colour here, looks like painting.
July 25, 2009 at 12:26 pm
the most frustrating thing i found while raising my children was the different priorities of other parents. and i was a working parent. the picture is beautiful.
btw, my blog will be private for a few days. i’m trying to shake an angry troll.
July 25, 2009 at 12:51 pm
Great post. The grape jelly is hilarious and I love the road runner. BEEP! BEEP! Your writing is wonderful as usual. You most definitely have a knack for creativity.
Cheers
July 26, 2009 at 10:53 am
The schoolboard here has a policy that went into effect last year, just as you wish. No homework unless work isn’t completed in school. The problem is that the curriculum is so broad that teachers can’t cover it and do daily work in the subjects that can only be learned by daily work like spelling and math. Even more so in math, children need routine practice because the next step builds on the previous step. I would love–with this new policy–to be doing all kinds of things other than homework with my kids. I enjoy it and they enjoy it a whole lot more. Nature, stories, crafts, swimming, skating. There’s no shortage. The problem is that I have to supplement my children’s curriculum with workbooks that we do at home. So even though the school has my children 7 hours a day I have to be a part-time homeschooler on top of it. Today for example, my kids have been busy sewing and writing stories and I haven’t had the heart to interrupt to do math, which we have to continue through the summer. Why? Because despite talking to teachers for the last two years, and despite their hearty but inaccurate assurances, I realized only 1/2 way through last year that one of my children wasn’t getting it in the periodic two day cram sessions every couple of weeks. So here we are trying to balance my own work as a writer, my kids’ summer holidays, the fun and creative things we do together, and fractions.
July 28, 2009 at 12:58 pm
You know me, I love birds! That roadrunner!!! jealous!
July 29, 2009 at 4:56 pm
It makes my heart happy you’re saving the finches from the jelly wars. And those finch parents really could learn a thing or two from the oriole parents – and you!
From where I sit (read) you sound like one terrific mother. You put a lot of thought into what your kids do. And that’s a very good thing.
July 31, 2009 at 6:50 pm
Cool bird shots. I’ve never seen a roadrunner. I love it! And your comment about going somewhere else if anyone wants to yell. THAT CRACKED ME UP!
I agree with you about the homework thing. Don’t they spend enough time in school without having to bring it home. Sheesh! Don’t get me started!
September 3, 2009 at 9:21 pm
As a teacher, and as a parent, I am so with you on the homework thing. Kids should be allowed to have free time, family time, friend time after school.
November 27, 2009 at 6:54 am
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March 29, 2018 at 11:30 am
Odd. The house finches I’ve had the benefit of studying have been excellent parents. During the courting process, the male will feed the female, and she’ll choose her mate according to his attentiveness. Once the nest is made and the eggs are laid she rarely leaves. He comes back several times a day to feed her. He will even respond to her distress signals if she calls. They will both defend the nest if threatened. Once the chicks hatch, both parents feed them until they are able to fledge. Then the parents leave. They need to leave to allow the chicks to get hungry enough to want to venture out on their own. I have yet to see a parent leave a chick that isn’t able to fly out on its own. They may have several nests, at varying stages of development.
I wonder if there is something specific to your environment that is causing the issues you’re finding.