As someone who loves being outdoors, walking in the woods, paddling in a kayak, soaking up the sun or trekking through the snow, I am so glad to have moved near a conservation area where birds and trees abound.
The birds are amazing: the vivid, bullying blue jays; red tipped hairy woodpeckers; sharp, bright cardinals; plump, smooth juncos; swift little chickadees; and delicate gold finches. Winter is a great time of the year for a beginner birder like me to bring my attention to birds since so many of the trees have no leaves.
Recently, I saw a magnificent barred owl, a wild and beautiful creature. Just spending a few moments with this stunning bird lifted my heart and brought me back to this precious moment.
I’ve also heard and recently saw a pileated woodpecker. It was so huge it seemed almost prehistoric, with an amazing red crest and sharp white and black stripes on its cheeks
Last week a dozen wild turkeys charged towards me like a herd of desperadoes as I walked alone in the dusk. I was so startled that I picked up a stick, but they stopped suddenly and just milled helplessly around when they discovered I had no food.
Just like these wild turkeys, I sometimes want to charge aggressively at folks who throw garbage out a car window or drop cigarettes on the ground, but really what I’m desperate for is a shared commitment to honour and protect our amazing planet. We have to let go of the idea that we can “mill around” and wait for someone else to save the day.
So I set aside the agitation of the turkey and embrace the stillness and calm of the owl.
The primordial beauty of ancient birds reminds me that our sense of importance as human beings is often distorted and exaggerated. We are, after all, just one of the many plants and animals that depend on this planet – and it’s plants and animals! – for our very existence. How small we really are in the infinite turnings of the universe and how minute our needs.
Our day to day life can feel so overwhelming and demanding at times, but there’s comfort and perspective to be found by walking in the woods.
