Birds

I am a birder, that is, someone who tries to find and identify birds. This started when I started my first year of teaching. I had several junior high school science classes and somehow near the end of the school year, I realized that we had finished the book and needed something to end the year. A good friend suggested why not do a unit on birds, since the school was located in a wooded area near lots of orchards. We should be able to identify several birds, and the kids would enjoy and appreciate the birds. Well, the unit was a great success! We identified many birds and hopefully started a life long interest in birding for my students. It sure did for me. Of course, the students quickly brought me back to earth. They had been so good that I took all three classes on an extended field trip to a nearby orchard. I took 93 students to the orchard and returned to the school with 90. Now this is not good. The principal got my classes covered, and I went back to the orchard to find my three truants casually walking along in the orchard. They had planned it all along. I did not take students on another field trip for many years. However, I became a birder.

While driving from Kerrville, TX, to Albuquerque, NM, some road kill was on the road and being picked at by several buzzards. I slowed down, but one of the buzzards was slow on the take off, and we collided. He shattered our windshield but fortunately caused no other damage except to himself, as he became a part of the road kill. We taped the window so that it would not fall apart and drove to Albuquerque to get it replaced. I was able to identify this buzzard up close.

Last night in Carthage, MO, as we were eating dinner, we were entertained by a pair of bluebirds. I have never seen a bluebird and have wanted to since seeing "Song of the South" as a child. In the movie, the Uncle Remus stories were enlivened with a song including the words, "Mr. Bluebird on my shoulder....". Niece Joan is a birder and puts out nesting boxes to encourage the bluebird population and takes part in counting them. Joan, I have now seen my first bluebird and hope to see many more.