This weekend is the Great Backyard Bird Count. You go outside for 15 minutes (minimum) and count all the birds you see and then send your count in to them. People all over North America send in their lists and it helps the bird experts monitor the state of wild birds which is quite a concern these days in the face of climate change and habitat loss. How many birds can you recognize? If we want to take good care of the world in which we live, we should probably know a little bit about it. So take 15 minutes away from your computers and go outside.
As many of you know, I walk my dog, Daisy, every day and on the weekends we give ourselves a treat and walk down to Rocky Point Park which is right on the Burrard Inlet, so you get the sea and the trees and a little marshy area. It's a good spot to see birds and of course, some birds put themselves right out there -- the big tough guys who aren't afraid of a woman and a nervous dog. I saw lots of Canada Geese, of course, pigeons and seagulls (which are really hard to distinguish -- there are lots of different kinds of gull and it is so hard to figure out which kind you're looking at) and my favourite bird, crows (called "feathered primates" because they're so smart -- did you know they can make tools?), and starlings (they are interlopers from Europe, but it's not their fault -- it's ours). There were lots of buffleheads out on the water. They're lovely little water birds with sharp black and white markings -- they're called buffleheads because the males have a big white feathery "buffle" on the back of their heads. They're small birds but very spritely and dive down into the water to get their meals. I heard other birds, but didn't see them. Mike saw a robin the other day -- my mother was always happy to see the first robin of the year, because it was a sign of spring. Their call is "spring is here"!
Anyway, it's a nice day for it, and it is good for the soul to watch a bird (or any wild creature). Wouldn't you like to be able to fly?
No comments:
Post a Comment