I saw a bird! Bird-watching is all about keeping our ears and eyes open all the time. Birds are around and sometimes we can be pleasantly surprised to see one. Here was a colorful, male vermilion flycatcher sitting on a fence.
Or we hear a pecking sound of a woodpecker, not a squawking Gila woodpecker, and discover it is a young ladder-backed woodpecker.
Where there is water, a bird may stop by. A hermit thrush was drinking treated water from a treatment plant. I happened to be walking in the otherwise dry creek bed, saw the flow of water and the bird.
Recently I was driving a road and noticed a creek bed. I had time to stop and check it out. In time a song sparrow flew in. I was lucky! So many times I check out creek beds and see no birds.
Who would have thought I would see a bird while pumping gas into my car! A western meadowlark was walking around like he owned the place!
Under bridges, especially those with water flowing underneath them, is a great place to look for birds. I saw a belted kingfisher sitting on a concrete pillar and a green heron in the midst of the river’s water flow!
Or you notice on a “bird alert”list, a bird at a local pond which if you see it would add to your life list. My track record in finding/seeing the bird alerted to other birders is dismal, but I go and check the location when I have the time. Wow, this time a common goldeneye! I was lucky and glad to have zoom lens with teleconverter on it to capture a photo.
When we keep all our senses attuned and noticing what is around us each day, we’ll see birds. Hawks, doves, crows, pigeons and various other birds visit our area too. There is no need to know the name of each bird, only recognize the life they bring to our environment. The balance between wildlife and humans is important.
On a final note, let me share a quote from Albert Einstein: “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” I most certainly agree! Do you?