The Sounds of Spring
March 3, 2024
Each morning when I open my door I hear a robin singing in the tree outside. I stop a moment to listen to her sing. The sounds of spring are soothing to my ears and I’m glad she’s chosen this tree.
The robin is not alone. The birdsong is rapidly increasing day by day. Cardinals, titmice, chickadees, house finches, goldfinches, wrens, and robins are singing everywhere I walk. Blue jays are busier and louder. The first meadowlark of the season showed up and was quickly followed by many more. Today I saw - and heard - five meadowlarks!
February seemed early for meadowlarks, but eBird didn’t seem to think so. I managed a little video, with apologies for the shakiness! It’s hard to hold my bigger camera still. The song of the meadowlark is totally worth the attempt.
I love watching the meadowlarks sing at the top of the trees and I love that they continue singing as they forage on the ground. Walk, forage, stop and sing. Walk forage, stop and sing. That seems like a good model to follow.
Great horned owls have been nesting for weeks now, the eagles are sitting on their nest and barred owls, blue herons, and red-tailed hawks should be starting to nest as well. I’ve watched the crows carrying nesting material but I still don’t know where the go. I’d love to see a crows nest some time!
Red-bellied woodpeckers, downy woodpeckers, and lots of flickers are busy drumming, chasing each other, and making their shrill calls. I even saw a pileated woodpecker but she didn’t stop for a photo. They are much to busy right now!
Some of my winter friends are still here, like the dark-eyed juncos. Occasionally I spot a winter bird I haven’t seen in a while, like this winter wren. I’ve only ever seen a winter wren twice before and the last time was 2015!
The geese are starting to claim territory and get down to business. These two landed in front of me and I thought for a moment I might get the full show if you know what I mean. However, they thought better of it and sailed around the corner. I took the video because I was fascinated watching their breath in the air every time they honked!
After the relative quiet of winter, spring is both loud and busy! The sunrise has moved forward about an hour from mid-winter, and it will move almost two more by the end of May. I see this reflected in the human world as well and I have to keep reminding myself to slow down.
One reason I love the deer is they never seem to be in a rush. They are taking their time, grazing on whatever is left before the new vegetation starts to grow. Is there anything more gentle than the eyes of a doe?
Change keeps coming, whether I like it or not. I’d much prefer a world where change came slower. I need time to adjust, or at least I think I do. I notice where I’m struggling against what is and I do my best to breathe into it and accept what I have no power to change. That always seems to be more challenging than it sounds.
My friend Cali Bird introduced me to the phrase “chronic play”, and I’m curious to see if I can transform my general approach of “work hard and worry” into one that holds things more lightly and is more playful. I’ve always been able to turn everything, even enjoyable things, into “work” but I’ve not been successful at reversing that alchemy yet. Play and my perfectionist tendencies seem to be at odds.
You can see Cali’s post here:
My bird friends seem particularly adept at incorporating play into everything they do. They seem to hold their tasks lightly, with the possible exception of males in breeding season. Does being covered in feathers help you hold life more lightly? Crows and jays in particular seem to have play in their DNA.
I’ve been looking at simple ways to incorporate play, especially around things I want to change, such as:
Fidget toys at my desk for long meetings.
Balance pods and a (ropeless) jump rope that I can pick up and play with for mini-breaks from work. (I have not jumped in a really long time so this is currently more bouncing than jumping - but that’s ok!)
Playing with spices as I learn to cook - which is a challenge because I so want to stick with something once it works and I have no idea what I’m doing!
Singing and humming - including when I noticing myself worrying trying to make a little song out of whatever I’m worrying about. This one works really well, when I remember to do it.
As the winds of change blow, how do you - or might you - incorporate a little playfulness to ease the transitions? Please let me know!
Play in the moment, take a cue from a dog.
Preferably outside.
Maybe , it’s all in the way you personally, define play . Because the way I see it, isn’t that exactly what you are doing when you take all of your beautiful pictures ? And the path you take in getting there for the viewing?
Change your word focus. After all , joy has a mutual relationship with play
Guess what! You do play.
A lot.
P.S. My license plate is
Playhrd….
Karen, You think as well as you photograph. I wonder if all great photographers and artists felt a similar angst as you do as they went about their “work”? Perhaps reading about some of the artists you most admire will give you a different perspective? And perhaps as you age and accomplish some of your goals you will get to a point where you will find the more you “tarry” the more play will enter your heart and head. Last suggestion: Yoga & meditation under the guidance of an excellent teacher can be a game changer. It helped me immensely….