Once upon a time we wrote on this page: “A Big Breathing Calendar.” It had to do with the nature of time and the time of nature.
We just revisited that innocent old post for a reason we’ll get to in a moment. But first, gotta say: we were blown away by its dateline. March 2010.
If you were with us fifteen years ago you might remember our words. But if you haven’t seen it before, no worries. We’re hitting the concept of time again because it’s just so damn timely.
Today was the first warm day in a while. Late February can bring melting snow and re-introduce us to predictable avian doggedness.
Which means today the year’s first Red-winged Blackbird was seen around here. On a reed near a thawing pond. Shining black with that show-stopping red patch.
And we thought of the words that hit long ago at a similar moment with similar bird activity. The wild world is just a “big breathing calendar.”
Whatever is going on in our messy human business at the moment, the birds out there mind their own time zone. And they make no note of us. But it’s fun to note them as we barrel through the years.
Red-winged Blackbirds have started to come back. Proving again that their world is a kind of calendar. They’re doing their thing, and the calendar is doing its thing. Again.
In a “messy” world where things change on a dime (is that still a functional phrase?), it’s reassuring that birds returning is something we can always count on. I saw the 3 crows that live on my block yesterday. First time since November.
The return of birds from their winter HQs to resume doing their thing is a harbinger of Spring. Hallelujah. I love warm weather. The Two-Fisted Bird Watcher keeps us up to date on natural phenom and aviary activity.
Nature’s endless circle of recurrence: Birth, death, renewal.