March Madness is in the air, and rivals are engaged in intense competition. While some of this madness plays out on basketball courts, nature is also putting on a show. Birds are competing for mates, nest sites, and the best territories. They are swept up in the energy of spring. I’ve wondered if they might be singing some Bob Dylan while on the wing.
Rainer Maria Rilke, Bilbao Baggins, that Dylan fellow, and Charles Bukowski all in one essay, beautifully tied together! And gorgeous, tender bluebirds. What a thought- expanding delight! 🙏
No bluebirds here, but lots of house sparrows, a couple of blue jays, a cardinal, crows and a rare sighting of a couple of ravens. All stop by here for their daily food.
As for why we are afraid of tenderness, the way that I see it, is that competitive capitalism, the system that we are under like a canopy of repression, makes tenderness seem foolish, a waste of energy. More's the pity. Bukowski understood that.
Oh , you had me at Sialia sialis but then Tolkien…
I am so excited! This is the first year that Eastern Bluebirds have graced us by choosing our neighborhood as their new home. When the sun reflects off their blue, it changes the definition of any blue color I’ve ever known.
Growing up in Norfolk, VA., I don't recall seeing any bluebirds, although at 70 yrs. old I am much more in tune with all the lovely creatures in my backyard now, living in neighboring Virginia Beach, Va. We are seeing many Eastern Bluebirds this year, along with gorgeous Goldfinches, Cardinals (state bird of VA.), woodpeckers, many varieties of wrens, sparrows, and the acrobatic titmouse and chickadee. Bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay, in addition to the inland Back Bay and nearby Dismal Swamp, we also have many more varieties to explore, including the Pelican and numerous other seabirds and mammals.
What I long to see is more owls, particularly after Bill Davison has recently posted his magnificent pics and prose. Nature watching with 'Easy by Nature' pleases me beyond words.
I loved learning about the relationship between tree swallows and Eastern Bluebirds. We have Violet-Green Swallows and Western Bluebirds here … I wonder if they interact similarly?
Thank you for the beautiful essay. When I was young growing up in Chicago, bluebirds were a bit of a mythical creature to me. I was a junior Campfire Girl (like Brownies) known as a Bluebird and had a beautiful bluebird pin, but I never saw an actual bluebird until many years later here in the Boston suburbs. They visit my feeders and birdbath mostly in the winter.
Oh, how beautiful this is! Thank you for this tribute to the lovely bluebird. I saw a pair last week in Minnesota, singing such a complex song, quick as their flight along the woodland edges, their blue fiery in the sun. Another way to support birds is to plant native trees with high wildlife value (which host insect species) on your property. Ninety percent of songbird young can only eat larvae/insects. No insects, no birds.
Another wonderful post. Such delicacy in both pictures and words. Toxic masculinity is unfortunately a worldwide trait. Heartbreaking. It is never weak to be caring and thoughtful and nature-loving. Such a strange world we inhabit. Thank goodness for the birds. Thank goodness for people like you, so prepared to share these subtle joys with the world. Thanks so much. 🤗🤗
I got two birdhouse kits at the North River Audubon near me. We assembled one with my grandson and put it outside his playroom window in Weston and put the other one on the woods behind our condo. Haven’t seen any activity yet but hopeful. I think I saw our first spring bluebird the other day. Beautiful birds. Thank you!
First let me say I so appreciate this post of yours!
I have wondered how it is that birds manifest and retain their singular voices, sounds and songs. I first thought of this when listening to some raucous seagulls vying with one another for the tops of tall light poles over a seaport. I wondered if I was listening to the same gull voices that might have been heard centuries ago? It seemed rather likely that I was hearing just what those seagulls had always sounded like.
We do not have Eastern Bluebirds here in the Pac. NW. But I appreciate your description of the calmness their voice brings over you. We have a few woodland singers that do the same for me. Though there are fewer of them now than even 10 years ago. Our so-called civilization has run away from what used to be taught as culture, much less the arts or heaven forbid a love of nature. We give our children shooter drills with little or no examples of anything else to provide balm for their minds and hearts. If only the Audubon and Cornell Labs could be welcomed into elementary schools to teach how to build birdhouses and know about such things as the migration of birds and the habitats that they seek.
Beautifully written, Bill. Thank you. Your song for the bluebirds harmonizes with theirs. I'll admit, though, that I'm more of a tree swallow guy - they are magic on the wing - and have been building, maintaining or adding to some colony nest sites (old farm fields with a pond) around our area here for years, but the bluebirds are more than welcome. Tree swallows are more in need of housing, population-wise, but I've grown increasingly fond of the bluebirds now that they're sticking around (a warmer) coastal Maine for the winter, brightening up the landscape like sapphires against the snow.
Rainer Maria Rilke, Bilbao Baggins, that Dylan fellow, and Charles Bukowski all in one essay, beautifully tied together! And gorgeous, tender bluebirds. What a thought- expanding delight! 🙏
No bluebirds here, but lots of house sparrows, a couple of blue jays, a cardinal, crows and a rare sighting of a couple of ravens. All stop by here for their daily food.
As for why we are afraid of tenderness, the way that I see it, is that competitive capitalism, the system that we are under like a canopy of repression, makes tenderness seem foolish, a waste of energy. More's the pity. Bukowski understood that.
Oh , you had me at Sialia sialis but then Tolkien…
I am so excited! This is the first year that Eastern Bluebirds have graced us by choosing our neighborhood as their new home. When the sun reflects off their blue, it changes the definition of any blue color I’ve ever known.
“A content love song that permeated the woods.”
And I am content to just listen and watch.
Thank you Bill.
Growing up in Norfolk, VA., I don't recall seeing any bluebirds, although at 70 yrs. old I am much more in tune with all the lovely creatures in my backyard now, living in neighboring Virginia Beach, Va. We are seeing many Eastern Bluebirds this year, along with gorgeous Goldfinches, Cardinals (state bird of VA.), woodpeckers, many varieties of wrens, sparrows, and the acrobatic titmouse and chickadee. Bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay, in addition to the inland Back Bay and nearby Dismal Swamp, we also have many more varieties to explore, including the Pelican and numerous other seabirds and mammals.
What I long to see is more owls, particularly after Bill Davison has recently posted his magnificent pics and prose. Nature watching with 'Easy by Nature' pleases me beyond words.
Great essay. Wow. As They Might Be Giants sang “Build a little birdhouse in your soul” although they were talking about a “blue canary.”
I loved learning about the relationship between tree swallows and Eastern Bluebirds. We have Violet-Green Swallows and Western Bluebirds here … I wonder if they interact similarly?
Thank you for the beautiful essay. When I was young growing up in Chicago, bluebirds were a bit of a mythical creature to me. I was a junior Campfire Girl (like Brownies) known as a Bluebird and had a beautiful bluebird pin, but I never saw an actual bluebird until many years later here in the Boston suburbs. They visit my feeders and birdbath mostly in the winter.
This is so touching! Thank you for creating a beautiful story for me to hold today.
Oh, how beautiful this is! Thank you for this tribute to the lovely bluebird. I saw a pair last week in Minnesota, singing such a complex song, quick as their flight along the woodland edges, their blue fiery in the sun. Another way to support birds is to plant native trees with high wildlife value (which host insect species) on your property. Ninety percent of songbird young can only eat larvae/insects. No insects, no birds.
Another wonderful post. Such delicacy in both pictures and words. Toxic masculinity is unfortunately a worldwide trait. Heartbreaking. It is never weak to be caring and thoughtful and nature-loving. Such a strange world we inhabit. Thank goodness for the birds. Thank goodness for people like you, so prepared to share these subtle joys with the world. Thanks so much. 🤗🤗
I got two birdhouse kits at the North River Audubon near me. We assembled one with my grandson and put it outside his playroom window in Weston and put the other one on the woods behind our condo. Haven’t seen any activity yet but hopeful. I think I saw our first spring bluebird the other day. Beautiful birds. Thank you!
Magical
First let me say I so appreciate this post of yours!
I have wondered how it is that birds manifest and retain their singular voices, sounds and songs. I first thought of this when listening to some raucous seagulls vying with one another for the tops of tall light poles over a seaport. I wondered if I was listening to the same gull voices that might have been heard centuries ago? It seemed rather likely that I was hearing just what those seagulls had always sounded like.
We do not have Eastern Bluebirds here in the Pac. NW. But I appreciate your description of the calmness their voice brings over you. We have a few woodland singers that do the same for me. Though there are fewer of them now than even 10 years ago. Our so-called civilization has run away from what used to be taught as culture, much less the arts or heaven forbid a love of nature. We give our children shooter drills with little or no examples of anything else to provide balm for their minds and hearts. If only the Audubon and Cornell Labs could be welcomed into elementary schools to teach how to build birdhouses and know about such things as the migration of birds and the habitats that they seek.
So good.
Eastern Bluebird,he was at my door today^^
Beautifully written, Bill. Thank you. Your song for the bluebirds harmonizes with theirs. I'll admit, though, that I'm more of a tree swallow guy - they are magic on the wing - and have been building, maintaining or adding to some colony nest sites (old farm fields with a pond) around our area here for years, but the bluebirds are more than welcome. Tree swallows are more in need of housing, population-wise, but I've grown increasingly fond of the bluebirds now that they're sticking around (a warmer) coastal Maine for the winter, brightening up the landscape like sapphires against the snow.