When I can, I read “real news” publications every morning, and usually it makes me wish I had not read anything at all. With so many problems, things seem to be shifting, risking wealth over health. Meanwhile, rationing evening news makes it easier to sleep.
Enough, already.
Instead, this is a post about something that was just about beauty: a story in Denverite about more birds being seen around our city. The story revolves around an an interview with Garth Spellman, who is an ornithology curator at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. He spends a lot of time looking at birds, which makes sense. Also, the reporter, Esteban L. Hernandez, had asked readers to send in photos and information on birds they had seen, and it became a treasure trove.
Spellman said this: “First of all, (people are) more aware of it because they have the time, especially in the city. People are out. I have a dog. I have kids. We are always out in our neighborhood. We’re always walking or biking to City Park.” And, he said, he regularly sees more people out and about.
Many years ago, moving from Miami to Conifer, suddenly we saw birds we had never seen before. We bought books by Roger Tory Peterson, and hauled out binoculars to scope out magpies and hummingbirds and Stellar jays. These jays were like big blue fighter jets, because they would have fun chasing squirrels back and forth on the railing of the back deck. Sitting there facing Berrian Mountain, it was a reconnection with nature.
Those books have been lost in moves, or were given away, but they were important reminders that birds are key to our world. Plus, they add some real beauty.
For now, that is happening again. For now, anyway. Here’s the link:
All the birds you (and your pets) have seen in Denver while stuck at home
Chandler in Denver 