The birds are Springing for joy

Friends I greet you from Yosemite I asked, "What do you see?" "A robin," he answered. He and his wife had binoculars because....they are birdwatchers...members of the National Audubon Society. Two days later, I was out photographing, when I saw some movement in a seemingly lifeless tree....a bunch of dead branches ...... I switched to video mode and became a birdwatcher. If today you hear the voice of nature, harden not your heart.  You're heard the expression that birding is for the birds.  My heart was happy to enjoy the birds.  In the middle of this mild winter, it feels like spring to me.....and to the birds as well.  They were acting as if spring were in the air...as they were springing about. There was a springiness in the air and in the wings of the birds. There was a springiness in the air and in the wings of the birds. In the spring we have gardening to do in our hearts as well. Life renews itself. How wonderful that the birds still sing and fly....and that I still appreciate these simple moments. When one appreciates nature, there's nothing like the thrill of seeing a beautiful bird or hearing a beautiful birdsong. Each season has its own special surprises and delights to offer the birdwatcher. There are excellent field guides to help identify the birds of Yosemite. Discovering Sierra Birds:Western Slope published by Yosemite Natural History Association is an excellent guide book and covers the ecology of the birds as well. Birding is best in the morning when birds feed and vocalize and late in the afternoon when there is another burst of activity. Because birds can fly, they come and go as they please, moving to different habitats and elevations or migrating to distant regions where climate or food supplies are more inviting.

Highlights of the Sierran Bird Calendar

Spring....spring migrants begin streaming through the western Sierra....lingering until conditions improve upslope....spring brings a resurgence of song. Winter....Mountain Chickadees, Redbreasted Nuthatches and several woodpeckers remain....other winter mountaineers include Stellar's Jays and Townsend's Solitaires..... At the Sequoia groves....white-headed and Pileated Woodpeckers and Winter Wrens American Robins and Stellar's Jays traverse a wide range of altitudes and habitats. They are seen in Yosemite West as well. I wonder when the snow will fall again this winter.  The birds are enjoying their moment in the sun. Birders, like the birds they watch, are happy.  Gladys Tabor wrote, "To be happy, one must be aware. For instance, there is a moment when you catch your breath seeing a pair of cardinals flaming against a dark branch of pine. This is a simple happiness, an awareness of the beauty and mystery of Nature. The happy person says, "I saw the cardinals."  The unhappy person says, "Why don't they stay around?  Why didn't they come before?"  The truly happy person is one who realizes the happiness of that moment, or that hour. ....all we need is an awareness of the beauty in life to make us richly content....you breathe sharp clean air, your eyes lift to the eternal wideness of the sky." Please let Scenic Wonders help you with your family's winter vacation. Our mountain cabins are nestled among the trees of Yosemite West.  Many wonderful birds have built their nests here as well. Another terrific day in Yosemite Sent from my iPod Pics taken by my iPod