The Wonder of Birds

So it's been a while since my last post. I admit I got somewhat lost in the busyness of life which is what this blog is supposed to be all about avoiding. I neglected to stop and smell the flowers. Well supposedly this is the month to do so. After all, we have had enough rain.

But I have been missing the flowers of life. Those everyday blessings that make life interesting and worth living. That is, until a little bird awakened me. Lately, I have been noticing a little yellow bird in my neighborhood and flying around friend's neighborhoods as well. Yellow birds tend to stick out a little more than the common dove or robins that are ubiquitous this time of year.

I've never paid much attention to birds. I can name a few, but never really gave much more energy to the subject. Occasionally, I would pay attention when I would visit a bird sanctuary or zoo exhibit. I have always looked out for the first spring Robin after a long winter. I can recall a college professor romanticizing about watching birds with her husband and spotting a "Brown Thrasher" at her bird feeder.

One morning recently, I noticed 4-5 of these yellow canary like birds flying around and perching in my tree in the front of my house. So I decided I was going to find out what kind of bird this was. I observed the unique features and took a sharp mental note so as to remember when I did my research: Small and Yellow, Black feathers on the wings, black feathers on the head near the beak.

I've been observing the American Goldfinch. In my research I noted the lost art of being able to know and name your surroundings. I realized that I don't even know the name of the trees in my yard that the birds were perching on. I do know the names of many of the flowers planted around my house. There is a great joy in this practice. In the discovery of what was once unknown and taken for granted. I have enriched my experience of what is around me, all thanks to a brightly colored little bird.