Just like you're not supposed to have a favorite child—or, at least, you're not supposed to admit you have—devotees of all things avian are expected to love all birds equally. Of course, that's rarely true, and while I won't reveal a child preference, I do have to reveal a special fondness for Rufous-sided Towhees. These beautiful and remarkably friendly creatures are back from migration, and the males are in their absolute finery. (The females are here, too, but they're a bit more subdued and shy.) One of the things I love most about them is their song, which is usually translated as "Drink your tea... drink your tea-hee-hee-hee... It was pretty close to the first birdsong I ever learned and hearing it brings back great memories, as well as tells me to believe in the season. That said, the male towhees haven't yet started representing Red Rose, Bigelow, and the other tea companies, so I'm not quite a true believer.