I’m on the trail. It’s snowing. No birds. That’s okay. Before I’m done, maybe I’ll see some. For now, I’m just glad to be in the woods.
Sometimes, you need a break from the world of people and its problems. This morning, CNN was going on again about unemployment. I clicked off and came here.
Yesterday, an under-employed buddy wrote to say his job search had switched from plan B to plan C. Then he outlined plans D, E and F. This would be funny if there wasn’t truth in it.
But in the woods, there’s no CNN, no statistics, just snow, trees and maybe some birds. Then a thought starts to form…
There aren’t many birds in here. I hadn’t been seeing variety or numbers earlier in the year, either. Even during migrations, when the place should be crawling.
And it hit me: a lot of birds have lost their jobs, too.
The Red-headed Woodpecker I used to see in a dead tree near the creek? His position has been eliminated.
The Brown Thrasher I’d spot in a field near here every summer? His long-tailed, beady-eyed ass has been downsized. The field he worked in was manned by a skeleton crew of kingbirds, goldfinches, and a few sparrows.
Same thing with meadowlarks. I grew up seeing them everywhere, with their yellow and black chests. These guys must have taken early retirement.
I wade through the deepening snow, watching for unseen hollows and fallen sticks. You never know when something unexpected is going to trip you up.
I see cold Robins. I believe they miss the good old days when they’d winter further south, but they’re sticking it out. No travel budget?
There’s a Cardinal, still on the job. This red bird on a snowy branch is an ornament, and good for the spirit. I see some juncos, and a single crow with a good immune system. Nothing special.
I was hoping to find a Red Crossbill. This uncommon pinecone-eater could be here. I move to a stand of evergreens and wait. Let’s see if the crossbill still has a job.
But the way things are going, I count myself lucky to have seen that Cardinal.
the bird that has most often knocked itself into my windows was the ovenbird. I say “was” because I haven’t seen one in years.
Birds and jobs – two endangered species. What’s next?