Weird Day

Today at our place is totally weird.  We have been here for almost five years and we have never experienced this before.  No, a volcano did not erupt in our yard, and cause the whole neighbourhood to flee with only the clothes on their backs.  Nor did a sink hole open up and swallow our shed.
Basically the birds disappeared.  Merril did her usual of putting seed out in two places and an egg for the crows.  Nothing came.  Normally the place is a hive of activity, but today the only hive belonged to our bees.
Mostly the birds are waiting for Merril.  She no sooner walks away and they fly down behind her.  Today caused her to say “I never thought I would miss the doves.”  I need to say, “I really thought I would never miss the lorikeets.”  Anyway, they were absent and still are.  Maybe secretly I still don’t miss them, but they seem to be the ones people like to see.
Normally there are Australian Minors, Indian Minors, Lorikeets, Doves, Crows, Pee Wees, Corellas, Cockatoo’s and Little Wattle Birds.  Today there were only two little wattle birds around.  We could hear crows at a distance.  But here, nothing.  I went out the back.  I thought maybe a cat was lurking.  Nup.  I thought something maybe high.  I did see something high and gliding.  I checked our roof.  Nothing.  Normally there is a line-up of doves on it.
Eventually one crow appeared and tentatively ate the egg while looking around.  Normally there are two crows.  Some doves appeared and I thought all was right.  What had caused the scare had gone and all was again as it should be.  No.  They took off in a huge hurry for what looked like no reason at all.  Haven’t seen them since.  That was early morning.  It is now late afternoon.
We are bemused.  We have done heaps since this morning.   Still nothing.    Makes me think of a song “where have al the birdies gone, long time passing.”  Really it is not a long time, but it seems like a long time.
We just hope the birds do not know something that we don’t.  We have heard they immediately depart when there is imminent danger.  This time in our case the danger could not be called imminent.  Maybe the danger is more like a slow release fertilizer.  We are hoping we do not need to redefine flee.  Maybe flee now means in the next two weeks gather your things together and make your way somewhere else.
If that is the case, then I do not think we are getting the message.  We are staying.  I do not know if we are being brave or foolhardy.  It does not matter really as “we shall fight them on the beaches (after a good swim), we shall fight them on the landing grounds (taking care not to spoil the fishing spots), and we shall fight them in the streets (as long as the shops stay open).  We shall never surrender (unless of course they offer a really good monetary price).
We are hoping tomorrow will be different.  All the birds will be back and their being fed will cause us much merriment.  We live in hope.
(PS All is back to normal)