Of all the holiday weekends, this is my least favorite. It’s (almost always) hot and since fireworks are still legal in my Kansas City suburb for way too many days, it’s loud, sleep deprived, and anxiety producing. When it’s as dry as it has been here, there’s the added fire danger that few here take seriously enough. At its core, independence day should be a time to reassess our democracy - which surely needs some loving attention - rather than a window-rattling display of power. However, most folks just need some time off to cook hot dogs, get together with friends, and generally recover from day-to-day life. I too am thankful for the break!
Personally, I am spending the weekend resting and recovering from a fall I took on Tuesday when in a moment of mindlessness I stepped in a hole and ended up on my face on the blacktop. As far as I can tell, I am ok outside of some big bruises, a black eye, and some soreness. (Note to self, keep the red, white and blue on the clothes, not on the face!) My camera appears to be ok, though I haven’t been able to carry it since the fall thanks to a sore collarbone. I am grateful as it certainly could have been far worse!
Given the inner and outer circumstances, it seems like the perfect week to share two of this spring’s stories that align with the symbols I think of when I think of Independence Day.
First, the bald eagle, our national bird. To some a symbol of power, but for me it is a symbol of elegance and resilience. A bird driven nearly to extinction that has recovered thanks to people who cared a lot. What better symbol for our democracy? Eagle is a hunter, a scavenger, a survivor. Elegance gliding on the wind and not above jousting for fish with the gulls. A bird who sings with a completely unexpected high-pitched voice. Not a dominant alpha-male but rather a down-in-the-grit-of-life mother bird.
The bald eagle pair at our county lake have nested here for well over a decade. Some of us suspect that the male in the original pair died a few years ago, but no one knows for sure. What we do know is that two years ago their giant nest was destroyed in a storm that took down the entire tree. The pair - or a pair anyway - had successfully used that nest several years in a row, but the storm happened at the wrong time. Too late to start over but long before the chicks could have survived. Last year they had at least one chick that hatched but for reasons unknown that chick didn’t make it.
I knew where they were nesting this year, but because of their recent challenges, I didn’t venture near enough to photograph them until I was sure the young eaglets were just about ready to leave the nest. If this pair was sensitive to human presence, I didn’t want to disturb them. The new nest they used is in an area that’s a bit harder for boats to get near (shallow) and a bit more hidden from general view. The park has been locking all the gates at night and this may have helped them as there were sometimes people venturing down trails in the night that might have disturbed them. In addition, our cool spring meant there were far fewer boats on the water than I have often seen.
Whatever the reasons, I was so happy to see two healthy-looking youngsters branching about, exploring and clearly getting ready to leave the nest! Watching young eagles is hit and miss - they sleep a lot of the day, they might only get fed once a day and sometimes in between you might get to see them trying to figure out those enormous wings. It’s amazing how they can disappear down into that nest - which is always larger than it appears. I was very blessed to see them bouncing around in the brief time I was there! (For more information on bald eagles, see All About Birds.)
Despite their size, they really do act like the kids they are. Here’s a short video of the two youngsters:
Symbol number two for Independence Day weekend is the bird I call, “the anxiety bird” - the killdeer! I do not like things loudly exploding around me and have a bit of a phobia around fire, hence my association between Independence Day and anxiety. Killdeer build their nests in parking lots and then spend the majority of their days running around trying to scare away the human invaders. The sound they make as they run and do their famous “broken-wing” act is a perfect description for how my anxious self sometimes feels!
For context, lest you think I was intentionally harassing these birds, I was in a church parking lot about 25 yards from the main entrance, sitting on the curb of the main road. People were arriving for a weekday morning mass and parking on both sides.
These parents had some fledglings running around and they were trying to figure out what to do to keep them safe from all the invading humans in their giant, moving shells. I’m pretty sure I saw at least five fledglings, but there may have been others hiding in the grass or bushes. Perhaps there were even still nests nearby, though the vegetation was sparse and I didn’t see anything hiding in the rocks. One parent was busy trying to get the kiddos to move out of harm’s way while another was determined to distract the attention of the human invaders.
Killdeer are known for their broken-wing act intended to lure predators away from their young or nests. They perfect this act through repetition and though I have seen it often, I’ve never seen it quite as insistently or repeatedly as I did on this day. I’ve never been able to film it before! Here’s a video of their Oscar-winning performance:
I have a soft spot in my heart for killdeer. I know now that as a kid I saw them at the elementary school playground. At the time I called them roadrunners, as that was our school mascot and they sure looked like the bird on my t-shirt. It turns out roadrunners are bigger and not native to our area, but I (and possibly none of the adults around me) knew this. Thus they are forever linked to my early elementary years as one of the first birds I ever got to know.
Symbols of resilience. Symbols of anxiety. My Independence weekend in a nutshell. Hearing the explosions outside - days before they are legal of course - I have the music turned up and the headphones on. Time passes too fast not to find a way to enjoy it, even in the challenging moments. I’m going to finish, “Where the Crawdads Sing”, do some QiGong, enjoy some fresh tomatoes, and put a little healing balm on my wounds.
Wishing my Canadian friends a (belated) Happy Canada Day, my US friends a safe and enjoyable Fourth of July and all of you everywhere whatever feels like relaxation and enjoyment. Take good care friends, and be mindful where you step!
I'm right there with you on distaste for all the "booming and bombing" of this holiday. Like you, I wish it were more dignified and reflective of the gifts and challenges of our precious democracy. As with Memorial Day, I think there are more respectful ways to mark the occasion than with cook-outs and frightening noise. I, too, will be donning my earbuds or headphones and probably watching "John Adams" on HBO for the umpteenth time, remembering the great cost and courage our ancestors paid for our freedom. Have a blessed Fourth, KD, and watch out for those gopher holes!
Killdeers are fascinating to watch, although I often feel my heart in my throat when I see them. My office is located in an industrial park. Down the street killdeers protect their nest in the gravel of a parking lot with massive trucks rumbling by. Their resilience and focus always inspire and re-center me. I’m glad you were rewarded with a sight of the eaglets, and that you shared the experience with us! I hope you recover from the fall quickly, Karen. (Beautiful photo of a meadowlark!)