Early August. Each morning now, as I walk toward the lake before sunrise, I hear the calls of the juvenile crows leaving the roost. The flock of crows is larger than I’ve ever seen. I’ve counted as many as forty!
Juvenile crows make a nasally sound, and to my ear, it sounds like laughter. The crows explore everything, from tiny bobbles found in the parking lot to the tops of every tree. They chase each other, landing awkwardly in the trees. They explore the water’s edge, looking curiously at the incoming waves.
The crows are often joined by the ever-growing number of turkey vultures. I haven’t yet seen the juvenile vultures, but I expect them any day now. The older crows seem to watch it all in amusement, but the younger crows will land near the turkey vultures out of what appears to be pure curiosity.
I don’t suppose my younger self would have imagined how enthralled I could be with crows and turkey vultures. I don’t remember paying them much attention when I was younger, though my high school science teacher did teach me to recognize turkey vultures in the air by their wobble. (Shout out to Mr. Ellis!) Then again, my younger self would probably laugh at my infatuation with birds.
One morning last week, the radar showed rain at the lake when I woke up. It wasn’t raining in my neighborhood, so I went for what I thought would be a quick walk without my camera. When I was nearly back home, I got a text message from a friend with a picture of pelicans and a note that said, “There is a small flock of pelicans at Longview. They have run the Canada geese off, and the geese are currently staging a protest in the parking lot.” (THANK YOU, Kelly!)
I walked as fast as I could to my house, grabbed the camera and gear, and drove to the lake. It took me about 25 minutes to get there and walk down to where the pelicans had been. I was delighted to find they were still there - and the geese were still not happy about it!
Pelicans are the largest birds that visit our lake. They often hang out in the middle of the lake, or in the coves I can’t reach on foot. It's a special treat when they decide to come into the shore where I can see them up close! I wanted to shout my thank you to the universe but I kept my voice to a whisper so I wouldn’t scare the pelicans away.
As I slowly made my way closer, being careful not to disturb the pelicans, I noticed the black and brown, fuzzy feathers on many of their heads. I’ve never seen that before! I assumed, and later discovered this to be correct, that these were juvenile birds.
According to my eBird posts, I have seen pelicans here as late as early May in the spring and as early as late September in the fall. This explains why I haven’t seen the juvenile coloring before and tells me that coloring will likely be gone in a couple of months!
Each season brings its gifts. If spring migration is awash in bird song and tiny birds in the tops of trees, and summer is filled with bright colors and beautiful bugs, late summer and fall are often a season for large flocks of black, white, brown, and gray. This is a time to watch the kiddos play, especially the larger birds that can’t hide from me in the leaves.
Yesterday, watching the crows and contemplating a post on black and white birds, I heard a screech out over the lake. I turned to see a dozen Forster’s terns swooping and diving. Another white bird!
The terns were too far away for decent photos, though I tried. Once again, I had planned a quick walk for the day, as the heat was building. Luckily, the part of me who wanted to see those terns much closer won out over the practical voice who wanted to get home. I paced back and forth on the shoreline, figuring I could get my walk in 30 feet at a time and still hold out for a flyby.
My patience - or at least my stubbornness - was eventually rewarded. One tern made a big circle around the cove and came right over my head. Then she dove for a fish, and I managed to catch her exit from the water in focus! After that, a few more terns came in to see what the fishing was like in my location. This time my thank you’s to the universe were shouted out loud.
There is no doubt in my mind that I am guided when I am out with my camera - and last week even when I hadn’t gone at all! Numerous times, I’ve turned around, gone to a different location than I planned, or even been late and somehow been in the right place at the right time.
More and more, I am noticing how I am guided in other parts of my life. This guidance has most likely always been there - I’ve noticed it in the big moments before. Now, as I see it in more often in the small moments, my trust in life is growing.
It took years for me to learn to patiently wait for the birds to come closer. Now I’m trying to learn to patiently wait for guidance and answers to the challenges of daily life. It’s harder to wait when pain, discomfort, and fear are involved. I’m actively drawing on what I’ve learned “out there” and trying to apply it “in here”.
As my trust that the guidance is here or is coming grows, the pressure to try and predict all the possibilities, to be aware of every little thing, to prevent anything “bad” from happening will be reduced. As my trust grows, my ability to wait will grow too. Tiny bit by tiny bit. The answers will become clear and they might even surprise me - just like my black and white feathered friends.
May you know how loved and supported you are and may your guidance be clear, especially in the moments when it’s most needed.
Beautiful pics! I’m also surprised at what a bird watcher I have become as I have gotten older!
Pelicans needed to keep those gullets soft by stretching them? I wonder if a good leather conditioner would work? Maybe a good side gig opportunity in late summer?
It seems like summer is starting to burn off there. Same here, but it was mostly coolish and we got two hatches of quail fuzzballs on toothpicks! It is a good year for my little fuzzy friends.
Thank you, Karen.