Les
Beaux Oiseaux. The Beautiful Birds. Ornithology. One of my favorite things. The
scientific study of birds. For me, it’s really just a love of watching birds. It is quietly meditative
to observe them eat, fly, splash in a birdbath, groom. Serene, artless and
calming.
When
I was in college majoring in Biology and minoring in English (not a popular
choice in the Biology Department, but perfect for me), I needed a zoology
credit. Choosing Ornithology was a decision that became a lifelong pleasure.
For
the final exam we met the professor in a cemetery at dawn. Not as strange as it
seems. Far from being a creepy, dark place full of ghosts, it was radiant and
green and full of light and life. Vast stretches of grassy slopes, lakes and huge,
ancient trees gave it a mystical quality. The birds were up early, singing
their hearts out and swooping from branch to headstone, to branch. Herons stood
on one leg and dipped their bills to drink from the still, glassy water’s
surface. It was not easy to find everything the professor pointed out, but it
was fascinating to try.
Not
too long ago I found a wonderful free App called Merlin Bird ID from the
Cornell Lab, a research and conservation organization that allows you to
identify birds in the field by entering size, color, location, etc. Wonderful.
I’m
truly a nerd at heart and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Painted Bunting- Davesgarden.com
I know, right?
And...
Photography by Achmad Munasit aka "asit"
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