confessions of a bird nerd

i find nothing so pleasurable as a day spent in nature.  the weather was just right for bird watching at oaks bottom wildlife refuge:  dry and overcast with good light.  looking for flight patterns, beak types, and nests, my friend and i were able to see over fifteen different species of birds, twelve of which were new to us!

our sightings ranged from an american coot and ruby-throated hummingbird to yellow-rumped warblers and bohemian waxwings.  we were also rewarded with two great blue herons and a bald eagle that perched overhead.

off-roading with walking sticks due to most of the trail being flooded or washed out by small landslides, we were rewarded with more sightings.  filled with joy from the day, i decided to invest in a pair of binoculars, a bird book, and small journal for recording what i've seen.  here's the extra nerdy part:  i want to learn the latin names.  for example, "song sparrow" sounds nice in latin, i think:  melospiza melodia.

bird watching is far from a passive activity.  with your senses so keenly honed in on the natural world, it's easy to start mistaking every far away jet at first for a bird of prey.  but with observation, comes more noticing skills.  and, like anything, the more you do, the better you become.

elizabeth barrett browning said, "earth's crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with God, but only she who sees takes off her shoes..."

...or, in my case, significantly muddy boots signifying a day well spent.