The Bird Feeder
Mara noticed the old bird feeder leaning sideways after a windy night. Most of the seeds had spilled into the grass, and tiny tracks crossed the damp soil below it. She carried the feeder to the porch, tightened the loose screw, and filled it again. Then she sat by the window with a notebook. At first, nothing happened. After several quiet minutes, a chickadee landed on the fence, looked around, and flew to the feeder. Mara wrote down the time. Soon another bird arrived. By lunch, she had recorded four different visitors and had one new question: did the birds come more often when the yard was quiet?