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Birds and Awareness
publication date: Apr 23, 2010
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author/source: Kamana Dan
Birds and Awareness
by "Kamana Dan" Corcoran
Shhhh. Did you hear that? No, I'm serious. Are you paying attention beyond the thoughts in your head? This is a constant challenge for today's busy human. There is so much to engage (and overwhelm) our senses. That's why I'm grateful for anything that helps me pay attention.
Enter our avian friends (I said avian, not alien:). Here's a classic example of a common story: On the way to my sit spot I was in my head. My intention when I walked outside my door was to be alert, quiet, and in tune with my surroundings. But then a thought entered my noodle. That thought led to another and another. And soon I was lost in ponder-ville.
But, alas, the hero of our story is here to save the day. I heard a bird calling emphatically. It was quite alarmed. Upon closer inspection I saw that it was a woodpecker in a red alder snag. It was small and had a high-pitched "squeak" sound that it was constantly making. What was it so upset about?
Then from the other side of the snag came a larger bird with very similar markings. Mostly white and black with a red patch on the back of its head. At first I wondered if it was a juvenile trying to get its parent's attention. But after a couple seconds it was apparent that they were not on friendly terms. It was a downy woodpecker mobbing a hairy woodpecker!
The hairy woodpecker (about three inches larger) was like a zen warrior. The downy mobbed and the hairy only moved an inch at the very last second; narrowly dodging the sharp bill zooming forward. It reminded me of an older brother who holds his hand on his little brother's head while the younger sibling furiously punches the air.
This lasted for fifteen minutes. The hairy kept feeding on the snag and would hop out of the way as needed. I was enthralled. At some point my anchor point called me and I headed there. The difference now was that I was committed to being present. I slowed my gait to a smooth fox-walk and was able to stay in the moment for the rest of my adventure.
As I sit here with the weather improving, I can crack my window. The songs of the red-winged blackbirds and pine siskins drift into my ears. It helps me remember that there is more around me than just my thoughts. For that I am thankful.
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