43 Comments
User's avatar
Tammy Lenski's avatar

There is nothing quite as lovely as opening my first email of the morning and finding one of your arresting bird photos as the first thing to greet me. Thanks for another beautiful post, Bill.

Philip Harris's avatar

Magic is alive and well... wonderful words and pictures Bill.

Wishing you all well.

3musesmerge's avatar

A friend invited me to bird with her last week and my great triumph was finding an American Redstart through the binoculars.

With a beginner’s mind, even the smallest success feels like magic.

Gail Sawyer's avatar

I love these photo’s!

Such colorful birds. I may do some quick watercolor sketches of them to add to my “Bird Journal”.

Some here I’ve never seen before. What a treat! 😍

Thank you. 🫶🏼

Sheryl White's avatar

Wow, what a beautiful array of color! There are a few of these I have yet to see.

I so love it when these little ones come and greet us!

Eleanor O'Hanlon's avatar

Wonderful photos and words, a joy as always. I love the idea of holding their names in our hearts - an inner chant, a feathered poem.

And thought of these lines from the WB Yeats poem (although very different context)

"To murmur name upon name,

As a mother names her child

When sleep at last has come

On limbs that had run wild. " Eleanor

Lor's avatar
May 15Edited

Such gorgeous photographs, Bill. The celestial music of birds arriving back home. Wrapped in the rhythm of songs, the beating of feathers and tiny feet alighting on branches, we are stilled as we stand on sacred ground, watching. I saw my first Black-throated Blue Warbler today, I had no words, only a whispered gasp and a big smile. Sometimes no matter how hard I try, it seems impossible to translate that pure joy in my heart into words. But you stood quietly on that bridge between human language and bird song—opening your heart and sang a cappella, your own private soliloquy only the birds could hear. You came as close as any human could, to capture it all with words.

Julie Gabrielli's avatar

Fellow travelers! Marvelous photos, Bill. Thanks! 🧡💛

Christine's avatar

They are all superb but the last one is my favorite. 🥰

Liz's avatar

Lovely. I have an Oriole that has visited the tree right off my deck for the past few days. His song is loud and clear, as if he is inviting me out to watch him for a while. I happily oblige.

Beth T (BethOfAus)'s avatar

Happy sigh. Stunning! Thank you!

Heather's avatar

Oh wow. They arrived here this week too. I was just standing at the side of the road by the woods, surrounded by black and white warblers. It was so beautiful.

Amy Johnson's avatar

Beautiful.

S Brank's avatar

Much appreciated, Bill! Your writing felt poetic with a cadence that captured the anticipation of greeting your feathered travelers who you have held in your memory by name for all these months. And then, there they are, and your happiness is multiplied by sharing your experience with other bird lovers. There seemed to be a sense of camaraderie with the birds as well as with the people.

Juliet Wilson's avatar

Lovely to see all your warblers. The same thing happens over here, with an entirely different set of warblers!

Jeff Rennicke's avatar

Beautifully done. Thank you.