When you have to be alone, and can’t socialize or go where people are, birdwatching is an ideal past-time. It gets you outside and takes your mind off stressful circumstances. Sit still in a corner of your yard. No birds? Stare at the leaves of a tree or bush. Wait for the birds to get curious about you. They are already there, watching you, but they are masters of camouflage. Maybe you can fool them out of hiding by writing…..
A flock of Lesser Goldfinch just flew into the tree outside the large library window. There’s another flock in the tree ten feet beyond it. The birds look like leaves bouncing in a breeze and won’t be still for a moment. Whoops. Now they are still like the leaves when the air is still. Or have they flown away? A third flock zips in to join them and they are lively again. There must be at least thirty. Did they…..
It has been raining for hours. The vernal pool has more water and has attracted a Great Blue Heron, as well as several Gadwells and American Wigeons. Two small flocks of Canada Geese just flew off, each with their usual commotion as they took their place in their formation and began circling the pool before the leader led them where he (?) wanted to go (I suppose). Or was all the cacophony a discussion of where they were to go?…..
Before the fog rolled in I saw the pair of Mallards in the vernal pool. It has reached the stage of a few puddles, thanks to recent rains. Five Turkey Vultures were taking turns on some road kill next to the freeway on the north side of the “pool” (really still just a field of grass). Starlings were gathering on a telephone line. The Mockingbird popped up to greet me from his bush in the parking lot. But he just…..