What Does This Mean?

Take a look at some behavior that I've had lately, how I've started to view the world, then myself and tell me what you think this all might mean?

Example 1) A few months ago, I saw hundreds of crows sitting atop the trees right next to the Home Depot parking lot.  I find myself drawn to their crow caws, lured in by their acrobatic loop flying.  I pull into the parking lot, park in a prime location to view the ruckus created by these black winged birds.  I grab my handy binoculars (yes, this too has some type of meaning) from their storage compartment in my car, that I keep in my car, and watch these social creatures, making mental notes of their behavior, location, beak length, body size, and tail, spending nearly an hour mentally logging this along with their social roosting behavior.


Example 2) I have my daily 'date' with a Northern Harrier.  At about 1:00 each day I find myself long fully looking out the window of my office, searching for her side to side swoop as she hunts for field mice. On the days that she fails to show, I'm seriously bummed.

Starling on a wire 
http://www.flickr.com/photos
/mauricewoodworth/2835395156/

Example 3)  During the early fall of last year, I saw hundreds of little birds (I think they were starlings) sitting in a row on a telephone wire.  I'm driving by myself when I exclaim out loud, "look at how cool that looks. They are all spaced exactly the same distance from each other, I wonder what kind of internal mechanism makes these birds sync so well with each other."  Now mind you, I'm alone in the car.  Who do I think is going to answer me?  The birds??

Example 4)  While on my trail runs, I will quite often search the tree tops, top of poles, or cliffs rather then looking at the twisting, turning, root and rock bound ground (yes, this is how my recent foot stress fracture happened - stepping on a rock wrong).  When I find a bird, I quickly try to identify it before it flies away.  At times when I am graced by a hawk soaring overhead, I will stop dead in my tracks, and watch the magnificent winged beauty soar until it's out of sight.  In the mean time, my dog is yards ahead of me looking back in wonder as to when I'm going to start moving - I look at my dog and say, 'Only when this magnificent creature above is out of view'.

Siskin
http://curiousanimals.net/
birds/siskins-singing-birds-profile-and-facts/

Example 5) The other morning I awoke to the chorus of hundreds of tiny song birds out my windows. I know they were singing to me, thanking me for the food I place out for them.  I layed in bed enjoying their tweets, and thinking that I couldn't think of a better way to wake up then to the sound of happy little birdies.  I wrapped my self in my comforter and allowed my self to be lulled back to sleep by the calming vocals of these locals.

Example 6) During this past winter, I was getting ready to turn down my road, when I notice this winged creature, start to stoop after it's prey from the top of a power line.  It's wings sleeked back, talons down and out, ready to grab the unknown prey.  I suddenly come to a stop on the side of the road and exclaim out loud, "I think I've just spotted my first Rough Legged Hawk on my home territory!"  I grab my binoculars (yeah, they are still in my car) and watch this hawk pull up from the ground, talons empty, and land on a farmer's sprinkler system.  I watch this hawk for several minutes, before continuing the quarter of a mile home.  As soon as reasonably possible I grab my bird books (yes, I own 4) and sit down to make sure I really saw a Roughie.

Rough Legged Hawk
http://birdsofessex.
blogspot.com/2011_10_01_archive.html

I sit there with my bird books spread open before me, comparing the Red Tail to the Rough Legged Hawk.  Awe-struck at the sight of this breath-taking creature, wishing I would have taken a closer look at it's legs.  For if  I would have I would've noticed feathers that ran all the way down it's leg's creating downy like leg warmers. Instead I concentrated on it's wings, looking at the darker upper 'elbow' region (please forgive me my ornithologists for not remembering the scientific name of that location on a bird). After much looking, I've confirmed that I really did identify a Roughie.

After confirming my identification, I got so excited, wanting to shout out loud, in a wave of unrecognizable noises that would have gone something like; wahooo, whoop , whoopee.  I however, refrained since the inhabitants that also reside in this house (also known as my hubby and daughter), would have no freakin' idea what was going on and would consider having me locked up!

Here's where I start putting 2 and 2 together - admitting to myself that: If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck, then it must be a duck.

So after reading the examples above from this past year, I agree and fully accept that I'm turning into a self proclaimed BIRD NERD and I love it!  Birds are everywhere, they grace those who look for beauty in the everyday, for those who appreciate their awe, and to those who take a moment to look around, to them they are numerous and yet not enough.

Masters of Wind and Air - Winged Birds - I love 'em.