Species 54 [in Nakusp]

During Senior English class today I allowed myself to be diverted into the desirable world of natural history generally and birding specifically. During a conversation about the Wordsworth poem, “Daffodils” and its themes of nature and romanticism I was questioned about, first, Australian animals, kangaroos and wallabies, and then birding. This, for me, was a reasonable link and a pleasant diversion and [I’m sure] the students were motivated by genuine interest in nature [and me!?] and not simply because they wanted to avoid further instruction in poetry.

At any rate I answered the questions as accurately and as completely as time would allow. One of the benefits of birding was, I claimed, that you never ever really know what you will encounter and learn about until you start to look. With that statement the class ended and as the students filed out my attention was taken by a flutter across the courtyard – a small dark passerine was foraging on the ground. Obviously intrigued I strolled out into the cool to cut the distance between me and the bird as I did not have my bins with me. I’m glad I did. It was a Grey headed Rosy Finch – a bird that several weeks earlier had been the main motivator for a trip to the Okanagan. I had excellent views down to a metre or two and its identity was never in doubt. Now I have not checked but I’m willing to bet that this is a very rare bird for the streets of Nakusp. And I saw not one but two Merlins fly by.

And all I had to do was look.