Fall Migration

Every November I look for the trumpeter swans to appear on nearby Medicine Lake as they migrate south for the winter. And for the past few years I haven’t been disappointed. But this November I am astonished at the number and variety of water fowl I am seeing on the lake.

Fall Migration

Yesterday late afternoon I took my Canon camera, 100-400 mm lens, and 1.4 extender over to French Regional Park to see if I could see any trumpeter swans nearby. There were none near the park but as I gazed towards the eastern shore of Medicine Lake I saw swans and water birds galore. The photo below (taken at French Regional Park) covers about a quarter of the area I saw filled with birds.

So I left the park and drove to the east side of the lake where I headed down to the shoreline in the one place I knew I could get close to them. Just as I arrived another photographer with an even larger lens than mine was leaving. He stopped to tell me that he had gone through both of the batteries he brought along for his camera. “I’ve never done that before!” he exclaimed. He also excitedly shared that he had seen Trumpeter Swans, Tundra swans, mergansers, loons, Canada geese, gulls, and more. He said that the gulls were eating lots of fish. And sure enough, when I looked closely at my photos I could see gulls with fish sticking out of their mouths. It was a wonder that they could swallow them as the fish often looked bigger than the gulls’ mouths.

Look carefully at the gull with a fish in it’s mouth — it’s about 2/3 of the way across this picture horizontally

What a joy watching all of these birds! It didn’t really matter to me if I made any photographs or not. The beauty of the wildlife, cacophony of honking, their swimming and flight, and the golden near sunset light filled me with wonder and awe. I swear my heart grew a few sizes larger simply taking it all in.

Even a wounded world is feeding us. Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair. Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift.
― Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants

Savor Nature

I think one of the keys to experiencing a joy-filled life that I have discovered is to savor simple things in life, especially the wonders of nature. Last year I put up bird feeders outside my office window. And all year long I have experienced daily joy watching the birds’ antics and Gracie, my cat’s bird excitement watching them.

But the earth and its beings are extravagantly wild, full of unexpected wonders. It is time to turn from our textbooks and listen to the birds themselves.”
― Lyanda Lynn Haupt, Mozart’s Starling

What little things bring you joy? When was the last time you sought out those simple pleasures?

May you walk in beauty.