Goals and Birds

Today, I decided to take a break from my work and go and bird. So here are the options. One: Drive to Rhode Island to see some razorbills and sea ducks, Two: Go to South Windsor to see a Shrike and some woodpeckers or Three: Head to Stratford and try to see more ducks and some other birds. Of course there's no guarantee that I'll see anything. But I find that setting goals, even if unmet is an important step in the whole process. Partially for me, the goal setting means looking through my Peterson's and knowing more about the trees and forests around me. So in the end, birding is really just a start, just a window into a larger world.

I went out today to look for the bald eagles around Hamden. No luck. But I saw a few other birds. Coots, some Mergansers and a couple of Grebes. The challenging isn't about the birds you miss, its about enjoying the birds you see. The Pied-Billed Grebe reminded me of that. The first time I saw one, I was tired, and not really expecting to see anything. Now, I hadn't seen anything like that before so it really helped me practice my skills and I will always know the Pied-Billed Grebe for that reason. I've always got to try to remember to look for the lesson in front of me. Perhaps the birds will help me see lessons elsewhere...