My Intro Into Birds
One beautiful spring morning, three years ago, I opened a window and two birds flew inside my house. At first I was really startled and worried, mostly about how they would get out. Also I had never been this close to a bird and was so unfamiliar with them that they spooked me a bit.
The birds got comfortable in the house really quickly. We have high ceilings, so they were flying around in the house, from light fixtures to ceiling fans. I opened the back door and one flew out pretty quickly, but the other hung around for quite a while, flying all around the house for at least an hour. That bird was so interesting to me, the one that stuck around. I watched it. I got curious. It finally flew back outside and I was relieved it made it back to its real home okay.
The visitor bird in my home, hanging out on a chandelier.
The bird entering my home was a pivotal point for me. Something from the outside came in. It put itself right in front of me and I wanted to know more. What kind of bird was it? What was its experience like being inside? Was there a bigger meaning to this bird entering my house?
I asked a colleague at work (thank you Karolena) who was able to tell me that the bird was a Carolina Wren, and from that moment I was hooked. How cool to be able to connect with and identify the bird that was in my house. Karolena also recommended the Merlin bird app, which I started using like crazy. I found out that Carolina Wrens have one of the most beautiful voices and they sing very loudly and proudly every morning. They are tiny and powerful.
Birds have been around me my whole life and I knew basically nothing about them. How is that possible? I just wasn’t paying attention and I didn’t realize how special they were. I might have noticed a pigeon or seen birds on wires, but I didn’t think too much of it.
Now that I had opened my world to birds, my days shifted. It became a game at first, trying to see what birds I could identify. I made a list of all of the birds I saw and where I saw them. I was so excited (and I still am) any time I spot a bird I’ve never seen before. My walks outside had me looking in the trees and in the sky. I started taking more time in the morning to listen to the birds on my back porch.
The great thing about birds is that learning about them doesn’t stop. It’s progressive. First you identify them when they are still. Then you learn to identify them when they are flying. Then you identify them based on their songs. I had been so focused on learning at work, that I hadn’t spent much time learning outside of it. I really enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity to learn something, just because.
What’s Something You Can Immerse Yourself In?
I’m not saying you have to get into birds. Five years ago, I would have laughed at the idea of becoming a ‘birder’. But maybe there is something you can start to take a little more time to get to know.
What can you notice and learn more about? Maybe it’s the cars around you? Maybe it’s how to fix things in your house? Maybe it’s the trees around you? There are things that are around us all of the time that we can invest a little more time in to understand.
Find something that intrigues you. It could be fun and easy to learn about it. Dig into it just a tiny bit and see where it takes you. I’m not really one to sit and study each day. I like to make learning immersive. Birds are that way. They are everywhere, so there are constant opportunities to learn more about them.
I love to make lists, so here are some of the reasons I’m grateful that the Carolina Wren flew into my house that day.
Reasons why I love birds
They help me connect to nature
If I’m bored, I can look out a window or look at birds at a stop light
They help me notice what’s around me
They are calming — watching them or listening to their songs bring peace
It sparks my curiosity. What is the sound? What bird is that? Are they just traveling through?
I feel a sense of freedom watching them, especially when they fly
They have traits and skills that are so different from us, that we can learn a lot from
They get me outside more
They are something that I can share with my daughters
They help me continue to learn and grow
A Great Horned Owl on a tree in my backyard