A few weeks ago I reviewed a fascinating book by Scott Weidensaul about the migration of birds in the western hemisphere. Here in St. Louis, we are in the peak week when the highest number of birds migrate through on their way to their northern breeding grounds. It is a time of delightful discovery of God’s creatures. Why birds? Two reasons.
First, as Jonathon Rosen points out, birds connect us with nature. In fact, they are about what’s left of the wild nature that lives among us (aside from insects). At the same time, as we learn about them they they draw us deeper into the woods, the meadows, and the swamps where we go to discover more of them (Audubon, March-April 2008, 138-139).
Second, birds can introduce us to nearly every kind of habitat (and the ecologies of those habitats) that exists on earth. So the more one goes birding the more one becomes acquainted with a variety of successional habitats from woodlands to riverlands to grasslands along with the niches filled by various creatures.
I hope to see a Cerulean Warbler this spring. It is something of a poster “child” for shade grown coffee. In the winter it lives in the canopies of old forests in Latin America, many of which are being cut down in order to make way for sun-grown coffee. A few cerulean warblers, I learned, can still be found in the riparian woods west of St. Louis.
tim saleska Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 12:27 amVisit tim saleska
Chuck
Since I am a coffee drinker, I am interested in the diff between shade grown and sun grown coffee. The sun grown must be more “cost effective” if they are cutting down forests to grow it. I didn’t know you were a bird watcher. We are waiting for the humming birds to come back to our backyard feeders. Diane finally saw one today.
BTW, what are “riparian woods”?
Thanks for the interesting blog!
admin Says:
May 19th, 2009 at 8:22 pmVisit admin
Hi Chuck,
We’ve been enjoying a pair of cardinals nesting in the tree by our house, and two families of robins nesting under the eaves of the house next door. We also see so many chicadees and swallows. Not as rare as the Cerulean warbler, but cool nonetheless, especially since they live so close to us. Best part is, my daughter wanted to set up a birdfeeder last winter. Prior to the feeder - no birds! She just loves watching them.
arandc Says:
May 19th, 2009 at 8:53 pmVisit arandc
Yea, that’s something I’ve been trying to learn about. If you want to read a little more, this is where I found out about it: http://www.abcbirds.org/abcprograms/international/action/cerulean.html
arandc Says:
May 19th, 2009 at 8:54 pmVisit arandc
That is fun. My wife loves hummingbirds, too. Last three days we’ve actually had a pileated woodpecker at our suet feeder. Very cool.
Damon Krikwen Says:
June 22nd, 2010 at 9:47 pmVisit Damon Krikwen
I would like to start off by thanking you for the useful information you are supplying! I will definitly bookmark your URL for future reading.