[missbird] Re: Blackburnian, Magnolia
- From: Frank Hensley <dr_frank_hensley@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "missbird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <missbird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 6 May 2013 04:38:09 -0700 (PDT)
Bravo! Great summary of the feelings! The only one you left out is the extreme
jealousy many of us feel on reading your account!
________________________________
From: J. Allen Burrows <rotteral@xxxxxxx>
To: missbird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Sunday, May 5, 2013 9:20 PM
Subject: [missbird] Blackburnian, Magnolia
My usual haunt in the Pearl River Bottom was flooded after the recent rains and
all but one of the Prothonotaries seemed to be in hiding. I was delighted to
hear and finally see Magnolia Warblers and Blackburnian Warblers along with the
Tennessee Warblers and Northern Parulas. There are a gamut of feelings
occasioned by a really good view of a bird you really wanted to see. In this
case both were birds seen on a few memorable instances but not nearly so well.
There was such beautiful light as the fog burned off yesterday morning and the
birds were so cooperative. Behold an attempt to list the emotional spectrum.
a. This is indecent, stop watching. They're just too exposed. They're too
vulnerable. This is unseemly.
b. No recordings were used to lure these guys, should I feel smug?
c. I recognized the song without referring to Birdjam, should I feel smug?
d. Mr. Sibley needs to find a brighter orange to paint his Blackburnians.
e. I need to lie down.
f. How can these birds remain so calm when I am in a turmoil of emotions?
g. Is anyone watching me right now?
h. I need and deserve some really good binoculars. (Actually, this runs through
my head pretty constantly, consumer programming is so very effective)
i. If I planted an impenetrable thicket of Honeysuckle at home would I get
these birds?
j. The last time I saw a Blackburnian it was a dull fall female and it took me
twenty minutes to figure it out. It was a cooperative bird and I sat down
beside a still, tannin dark pool of water on Merritt Island. As I made a
lengthy examination of the flitting bird an alligator watched me. I sat all
unaware perusing the relevant pages of Sibley's and focusing on the little
shape flitting through the scrub. Alligators are scary when you find them that
big and that close. One can mentally associate Blackburnian Warblers and
Alligators for a long time. I felt a little frisson when I finally got a good
look at the bird. I resisted the urge to look around for alligators. One
doesn't get to see a Blackburnian every day. And I was sure it was too cold for
them to move fast.
k. Mr. Sibley nailed one thing. Listening to recordings is great for learning
bird calls and songs but nothing imprints the association between a bird and
its sounds like seeing the live bird in the wild with his mouth open and
vocalizing.
l. I always need to text somebody that will appreciate what I'm seeing and be
appropriately envious.
m. How can I slow down time?
n. I need more ocular bandwidth. Can I upgrade my processor?
o. I am not worthy.
p. I have such a warm feeling for all lifeforms.
q. Should I feel this smug?
And of course it goes on. I had a hard time mowing the grass when I got home
because my feet didn't seem to be touching the ground, no traction.
J. Allen Burrows
Jackson MS
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