Census of Birds

Decades ago I read an article suggesting that the swarming of birds this time of year is a form of census taking. Birds realize how many of them live around here and then, in the coming breeding season, either curb or intensify that activity. A very tall tree a block away at a corner has been in process of dying. Just a few of its branches still produce leaves, and these fall early. Brigitte has named it the Conference Tree because the bird tribes make their glorious circles in the sky and often this season settle on the sad naked branches and make the Conference Tree seem to sag, rich with hundreds of moving noising fruit.