While working at the Clayton Big M yesterday, I saw a lot of long faces. The weather was the culprit, with rain and cool weather in the forecast through out the coming week. Folks who have not been by the shores of the River in months were less than delighted with their welcome back. That old northeast wind sent spirited showers in varying waves most of the day.
I was out retrieving shopping carts with my hood up and hat pulled down finding it difficult to hide from the rain. The refreshing air brought back my experiences from the past week on the water and in the woods. Inclement weather seldom deters me from my outdoor enthusiasm and often enhances the outing. I don’t mind a good shower or a total soaking for that matter. That steady release of moisture from the sky has a way of bringing out the best of feathered singers.
Over the past week I have seen and heard numerous song birds enjoying a refreshing shower. Bobolinks and flycatchers were in fanciful flight with the males doing similar prolonged, hovering maneuvers. Each of the two species can hang in the air with rapid wing beats, often challenging one another for dominance. I watched as the males sailed from leafless tree tops to duel in a jousting style from a distance. The associated females seemed unimpressed and went about taking care of important matters, as gals tend to do.
I watched meadow larks fly pass me by with a swooping flight. They pump their wings to a high spot and then drop downward as if to crash, without a wing beat. It as if they are making a bell curve graph as they plod along to another location. The sound is distinct with a swooshing wing then silence and another swoosh seconds later. I can follow the path without ever seeing the bird, knowing exactly who it is. From the rush family, a veery followed me from one location to another. In empty trees, he sang a poignant song with his neck out stretched, as if performing opera on stage. He seemed happy to play to an audience of one!
Yellow warblers joined me at ground level as I kept close to a bush, attempting cover my presence and shield the drizzle. No other bird has such a cheerful song, they remind me of the seven dwarfs on their way to work! The damp Saturday morning brought to me the best in their delightful song and bright yellow hues. All of the songs and damp air overtook my eyelids and I slumbered off for just a minute or two. When I opened my eyes I saw that a turkey had passed by exactly where I had anticipated; only now it was beyond my range. Three and one half hours - a two minute nap = one wet empty handed hunter.
As I went over all of the “I should haves” following the vanishing turkey, my eyes caught sight of something new. Yes… a new bird to check off in my Peterson field guide, it had a dark black patch covering its face and a pronounced yellow chest. Age has taken some of my sight and according to my bride… most of my hearing. The one thing I still have is a decent memory for detail and I could not wait to get home to identify that bird! On page 247 in the Peterson guide I found the newest species to check off and date- “a common yellowthroat.”
We have had our field guide since 1983 and the opportunity is rare to add a new sighting. Each one is an event that we inscribe to it with our name, date and location. The small investment some 30 years ago has become a family tradition with a history all of its own, enhanced by our hand. “Saturday, May 14th 2011- Mike at Ashland WMA.” If you do not have one then consider it, you will be amazed what one little book can do to enhance your life.
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