Migrating Birds

Bird migration is under way and every year, during the month of September, there is a group of biologists, ornithologists, bird enthusiasts... who spend the month capturing, banding, collecting data and then releasing the birds. At a little over 5,000 feet in elevation, Whigg meadow has a fabulous view of the valley and surrounding hills and mountains. It is a stopping point for many birds partly due to its berry thickets (blackberries, blueberries, and other types of berries).

We arrived at the meadow in the evening in time to set up our tents, eat supper and do a little exploring before sunset. Grasshoppers jumped out from under our feet, flocks of cedar waxwings flew overhead, mice scurried through the grass, crickets chirped their end of summer songs, and the wind gently brushed the grass. As we wandered around, we occasionally stopped to pick and eat a few of the tiny but delicious blueberries. Finally, we meander over to the top of the hill to watch the sun go down.

 

After dark I was enthralled as I gazed up at the Milky Way. "What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?" Ps. 8:4. 

The next morning we excitedly stepped through grass heavy with dew as we made our way over the hill to the bird banding station.

 

I was curious to discover what types of birds we would see. Here are a few of the birds that were banded. 

placing the band on his leg

Checking his flight feathers and identifying it as a 1st year bird

This is a juvenile Black-throated blue warbler (my favorite bird that was caught)

Ovenbird

I believe this was a Black and White warbler

Black and White warbler

Female Black throated blue warbler

Female and male Black throated blue warblers

And some more warblers. 

Each bird was carefully processed before being released. The birds were positively identified (species, age, gender), their wings were measured, they were weighed, their body fat was visually assessed, their flight feather wear was evaluated and they were banded. The people doing the bird banding were incredibly knowledgeable and willing to teach and answer questions. This was my second year going and I enjoyed it even more than the first time I went. I would definitely recommend you check out a local bird banding station if you get the chance.

"Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration. But my people do not know the requirements of the LORD." Jeremiah 8:7

This Was Supposed to be Relaxing!

So I had quite the adventure the other day. I headed out for a relaxing walk through buttercup filled fields.

The sun was out, the air was warm, the birds were singing... it was beautiful. I paused to admire a few tiny flowers then continued walking.

  In the distance I could see the cows lazily eating and in order to not disturb them, I took a long detour to the other side of the field, just to be safe. They have never bothered me, but you never know.

 

I slowly made my way across the field towards the creek, glancing occasionally at the cows. I was barely halfway across the field when I noticed the cows had turned to face me... ALL of them! My heart started beating faster and I picked up my pace just a little. All of a sudden, the whole herd started running towards me! It was like a large wave sweeping down on me. Were they wanting to chase me off? trample me? did they think I had treats for them? was this a defensive charge? or merely curiosity? Well, I didn't wait to find out. I was too far from the fence to run back and dive under, so instead I bolted for the creek, leaped across (startling a bull frog who must have though his world was crashing down on him) and huddled behind a large bush. The cows stopped running when they could no longer see me, but now my escape route was cut off.

As I pondered what to do, I was startled by the sound of a snake slithering away not one foot from where I stood. If it wasn't the cows, it was the snake that was going to get me. Ok, ok, I was just a little jumpy and my brain was playing worst case scenarios. Anyways, I remained in my hiding place for a while trying to calculate my options. A kingfisher called to my right, some red-winged blackbirds flew overhead, a damselfly landed nearby and the cows started slowly drifting away.

Then, I heard something behind me and when I turned, I was startled to find out I was being watched.  Just a few feet from where I stood, there was a woodchuck. I wondered how long he had been watching me and what was going through his head as he did.

sorry, this is the best picture I could get of him

 Finally, once the cows had drifted far enough away, I decided my best option was to follow the creek down to the other end of the field and then cut back across. Unfortunately, between my bush and the next set of bushes, there was an open space I had to cross. I glanced at the cows, who didn't seem to be paying attention, and carefully stepped out into the open. I took two steps, the cows saw me and the chase was on again. I ran for the bushes and paused. Every time I moved, the cows ran towards me, so once again I froze behind a tree and waited. Run...hide...freeze...run... hide... freeze.

Little by little, I distanced myself from the cows and by keeping trees and bushes between me and them, I was able to make it undetected to the other end of the pasture. I had no desire to expose myself to another unnecessary chase, so instead of cutting across the field, I found a spot in the fence where I could crawl through and into the woods. Finally some peace! But wait, now I had to fight through brambles and thick walls of bushes and vines!

At first I was annoyed at the cows for forcing me to have to take the hard way back, but then I saw a box turtle and was thrilled by the opportunity to see yet another of God's creatures.

A chipmunk chattered an alarm somewhere to my left and a rabbit perked up its ears before bounding away into the undergrowth. 

Despite the momentary feeling that I had been fleeing for my life, it turned out to be a fabulous day full of animal sightings. From the damselfly, snake and bull frog, to the woodchuck, turtle and rabbits (yes, I ended up startling more than one), to the different kinds of birds (including a turkey, which I forgot to mention), it was a memorable day. I was looking forward to a relaxing and peaceful walk, which the cows kind of ruined, but all the little encounters still made it worth it. What I learned: Don't let the big things distract or discourage you from enjoying the little things.


PS. if you are wondering, I do have permission from the owner to be in the cow field, I just don't think the cows knew that.