Monday, April 26, 2010

LEARNING FROM BIRDS

As I rest my head on my soft down pillow I wonder what it is about birds that I love watching. Now I am not the kind of bird watcher that gets up at all times of the day or night and marches through the marsh or fields to spot a bird. Nor will you ever see me climbing a tree to look at a nest. I don’t care to keep track of how many birds I have seen in an area. Keeping a North American Bird Guide handy is a must, however.
Moving to our home 10 years ago brought a new fascination with birds as I viewed breeds I hadn’t seen before. Watching male Mallard ducks with the colorful reflection in rippled water made me want to be a painter to capture the moment on canvas. In South America I saw birds I don’t even know how to describe let alone name. My first time of seeing eagles wasn’t all that exciting. The nesting areas in Missouri are much too cold to enjoy for long. When I saw the majestic Bald Eagle in Alaska where the temperatures were much warmer I found a new respect for these birds.

Driving in our neighborhood Kent had the opportunity to meet 3 wild turkeys on the road. Not something for the faint of heart. They are not like a turkey in a freezer case. These birds are very aggressive and attacked the car. From our deck I watched a hawk catch a chickadee midair. Both of these were rather traumatic but not to be missed. I have watched birds nest on the tree in by our front porch. The day the fledglings flew away was very exciting. How these birds tolerated people in and out all day was amazing to me. One lazy Saturday Kent and I went over to Bush Wildlife and watched a beautiful egret catch a fish and swallow it whole.

Maybe the fascination is I have to stop the world as I spend time in nature. Time stops for a short time and I am lost in a beautiful world. Today, as I am perfectly still I hear doves, robins and a bird I don’t recognize. I love this time of day.

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