I was sitting and looking out the window today and I saw two birds that really made me happy. The first was a Carolina Wren. He (or she) was jumping between the branches of two trees next to the driveway.
This bird has such a neat tail. The tail is about the length of the rest of their body. The Carolina Wren is a rare bird to see in Upstate NY at this time of year but I have seen this one around the yard the last few weeks. I have also heard him (or her) singing in the trees from time to time.
Their song is definitely not an Upstate NY February sound. It feels more like a song that you would hear in the Carolinas in springtime. I have never been to the Carolinas in springtime but I imagine warmth, green, and birds singing to each other in the treetops.
The second bird I saw out the window today was a male Cardinal. I have always been a fan of the Cardinal. His bright red feathers against the snow that was falling around him added a dash of color to my morning.
I took a minute or two to watch him jump from limb to limb as he looked around the neighborhood. I was looking for his mate but did not see her. For the longest time I thought Cardinals mated for life. I recently found out that is not always the case. I did find out that there are birds that mate for life- the Bald Eagle and the Whooping Crane among others.
Cardinals always give me an excuse to sit and watch them for a minute. I don't know why I need an excuse to take a minute out of my life to connect with nature. It should be the other way around. I should be taking time out of nature in order to connect to my computer or my phone. I should be sitting on a log in my backyard and need an excuse to go inside the house.
The Cardinal doesn't worry about likes or followers. He doesn't think about the "pressures" of modern life. He is not worrying about tomorrow or wishing he had yesterday back.
How can I be more like the Cardinal today?
