***These are interesting times. Stressful, intense, fast-moving times. Everyone's in such a hurry. We know stress isn't good for us, but most of us don't have a clue how to take a moment and just breathe. Well Naturegirl has a suggestion for you...
***GO OUTSIDE! No surprise there! But what to do when you get there? Its
great to just breathe in the fresh air, to notice the difference between the scent of Nature as opposed to the stuff we don't even notice wafting through our lungs. Try it, and be aware of yourself in the moment when you do.
***That's enough for some people, but for birders its just the begining.
Pretty much anywhere you are, they are there too -sometimes watching you right back. In fact, you can bet those little flying acrobats were aware of you long before you spotted them. Catbirds in particular love to sneak up on you and check out what you're doing. They get really close and its obvious they are people-watching. One day I swear I'll look up to see one spying on me with a pair of tiny binoculars! Catbirds are great singers from the "Mockingbird school" of tunes. And if you are lucky, when he or she turns to go, you may see the beautiful burgundy patch they keep in hiding on the underside of their tail.
***Bird watching, or birding as we bird-brains call it, is a fun, rewarding
inexpensive hobby. You can do it all by yourself or involve the whole family. Birding is great for kids as it helps to develop skills of observation and alertness. Not to mention it gets them off the couch! Those same skills are also helpful to seniors. Heck, we could all use a trip off the couch from time to time!
***It is very helpful to have a pair of binoculars and a bird book. There are loads of books on the subject and even the most basic can get you started. The same holds true for binoculars or field glasses. See my suggestions on the carousel to the right. My rule of thumb is "never take a bird for granted". Many times I discovered a new species in my yard that I thought was a sparrow I had seen before. Ho-hum turned to oh wow! You never know til you look closely! Lots of beautiful little warblers look quite dull to the naked eye. Especially when they're whipping through the treetops. Even the "usual suspects" are beautiful up close.
***For instance, the Mourning Dove is really beautiful, especially the males in Spring. They appear to be grey and tones of dull beige-y, taupe.
In truth they have extraordinary coloring. Mourning Doves' feet are hot pink! They get patches of metallic gold and metallic fuschia on their necks (to match their feet)! And, they have beautiful wedgewood blue caps on their heads and matching blue eye-rings.
***Don't count out those sparrows either! The Brownish looking White Throated comes in two color schemes. Stripes on the head are brown & beige or black & white and both have brilliant yellow spots between the eye and bill. All have the reputed white throat.
***Have I made my case yet? Are you heading for Amazon to order an Audubon book and some binos? Do it. You won't regret it and your family and/or birding buddy will be forever grateful for inspiring a new lifelong passion. Relax, breathe, go birding!
