Bye Bye Birdies

     Ye that pipe and ye that play,
                      Ye that through your hearts to-day
                      Feel the gladness of the May!

I am sad that they are going.
But I am so glad that I saw them.

These are days you’ll remember
When May is rushing over you with desire
To be part of the miracles you see in every hour.

And as you feel it you’ll know it’s true

that you

are blessed and lucky.

It wasn’t easy.
And I was badly out of practice.

You have to look into the branches of a tree.
Until you lose all sense of time.

And simply dissolve into the moment.

You try to detect even the slightest movement.
It might be just the wind.

Or it might be something else.

I will never forget the thrill of seeing that Blackburnian:
”I think he’s on fire!”

Or that blue-winged warbler:
“Looks like there’s a lemon in that tree.
But it’s a cherry tree!”

And that golden-winged warbler?
Out of this world.

I saw many new warblers this May.
After so many years of seeing none.

That was joyful enough.

But even more joyous?
Seeing the ones I saw first.
So many years ago.

The Fab Five!

The yellowthroat

Wilson’s

The Canada

The magnolia

And that incredibly sweet bird, the yellow warbler.

I really can’t complain.
The birds are on an important mission:
To fly to Canada.
To make more warblers!

I even managed to get my cousin Yvonne excited about Warbler Action!

She’s also become a big Baltimore oriole fan.
(The bird, not the team).

I went over to say goodbye this morning.
And saw one more new warbler species.

The ovenbird.
Check out the hairdo!

That will be the last one.
Until next spring.

  When old age shall this generation waste,
                Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe
Than ours, a friend to man.

The warblers will keep coming back to Mount Auburn Cemetery.
Year after year.

Long after I am gone.



That gives me great comfort.