I’m in the snowy woods north of Chicago. I see deer grouped tightly nearby. Their winter coats are surprisingly thick. I notice fox and coyote tracks.
Foxes keep a low profile these days. Smart. Coyotes are on the increase, and can be cannibals. Just ask the little dogs in my neighborhood. If you can find ‘em.
While I stand here freezing my butt off, my mind wanders to a warmer place…
I remember hiking in the summertime Gore Range of northern Colorado. I like Scarlet Tanagers, and had hoped to see one of their cousins there, a Western Tanager.
My wife and I were enjoying mountain views at every turn in the trail. The peaks were snow covered. High altitude snow, bright in the June sun.
There were other memorable views: In the distance below, I saw a couple skinny-dipping in a stream. The girl was Colorado personified. The guy, well, who cares?
Later, there was a Western Tanager. Very close. On a branch, eye level. It was like he’d put himself there to be seen. My wife whispered, “Quick, get your camera.”
The camera was in our Jeep, way down the trail. I could never get it, get back, and expect the tanager to still be there. I said, quietly, “No way. Too far.”
She urged, “Quick, go get the camera.” I sighed. Many minutes later I was back with it. Beyond all reason, the tanager had waited. I aimed, focused, “click.”
National Geographic would never be calling. But there was a moment between the bird and me.
The tanager had looked in my lens, clearly saying, “What the hell took you so long.” Then he flew.
The memory of that moment is strong in these cold woods today. The tanager had waited.
My wife reminds me that she played a major role in this. She’s right, as usual. You shouldn’t always assume that an opportunity will fly away.
That’s my daily sighting, although it didn’t happen on this day. Nothing much happened today. But it was still great to be in the winter woods. It’s always great.
Yeppers! great reminder for people like me –
Thank you for sharing . . . These days i don’t get to hike so much – i watch where i can, and enjoy the thought of other, more vigorous adventures, thanks to you . . .
Happiest Day To You!
-g-
You can write! Good stuff, hope to read more!
Excellent object lesson for amateur “ornithographers” like me. I think I met your Western Tanager in Jawbone Canyon of the California Mojave Desert. Camera in hand I was trying to catch a Black Phoebe flitting after “no-seeums” from the antenna of an adjacent water truck. Frustrated because the insectivore flitted every time I got focused, I lowered my lens with an oath. Suddenly on a barbed wire six feet from my nose, a male Western Tanager sporting full-blown mating plumage alit. Eying me with first the left and then the right, he seemed to say, “Well, here I am, what are you waiting for?” Then he preened as a “10” model during a photo shoot, turning one blazing cheek then the other. After six excellent shots, he chirped, “You are welcome,” and flitted away, perchance to Colorado.
Love it! Once I was driving along the river in New Orleans and saw a red-shouldered hawk on a snag but had no camera. I watched for about 5 minutes, drove home and grabbed the camera (good half hour round trip) and got back to find the raptor had waited too.