Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it. Mary Oliver, Sometimes 4, in Devotions (2017, p. 105)
Author Archives: Birder's Journey
The glossy Purple Martin, largest of North American swallows, winters in South America and migrates north to spend the breeding months across much of the United States. These aerial insectivores eat, drink, and bathe on the wing, feeding on flying insects (American Bird Conservancy). Purple Martins in the west tend to nest in tree cavities […]
This spot looks just right . . . Make sure no one else is around . . . First, a little sip . . . Some basic preening . . . Freshening up my head feathers . . .Ahhh, now for a quiet little swim . . .Who’s this interloper rushing over?!?!“May I join you. . . . ?” “Well. […]
I was out alone on the Scrub Ridge Trail at Merritt Island NWR looking for Scrub Jays, but having no luck. Then, halfway along the trail, I heard a lovely song coming from deep in the thick scrub right next to me. It didn’t sound like a Scrub Jay, but I had no idea who […]
The ‘gator didn’t move a muscle – he just sat there, smack in the middle of the path. Should I just turn around and go the other way?! (This trail happens to be bordered on both sides by swampy waterways that are frequented by American Alligators.) But the guy above who was walking toward me […]
This Black Vulture above, at Merritt Island NWR Nature Center, appeared to be drying off his feathers in the manner of Cormorants and Anhingas. Another visitor said he’d seen the bird emerge from the water just beforehand – a behavior I have never observed, though Black Vultures are very common here in Florida. But the […]
