Yesterday morning, in Athens, Alabama, I stood outside our motel, holding a cup of coffee. (When I travel, I carry a cup or mug from home.) Below was another motel, and near the parking lot there, a small tree. I noticed movement, was it birds? Autumn leaves falling? The trees in the area were still green.

It turned out they were sparrows. They rained, plunk, as one, down to the ground. Then they rose back up in such beautiful synchrony, it was like watching a film being played in reverse. Down they dropped again, as though responding to a common prompt. Then, altogether, they rose again to the branches of the little tree. They were mesmerizing to watch.

I walked down to get a closer look, to see what was attracting them. There on the corner of the parking lot surface were a couple of handsful of sunflower and other seeds.

I haven't seen many sparrows of late, and it was a pleasure to see these small characters show up for free breakfast, not so different from us human guests at the motels.