[2023-06-21] Communing with nature
This morning at Rice Lake, as my husband and I stopped on the little lookout bridge for our ritualistic moment of zen, I faced west while he faced east. I started a sound recording on Merlin to see what birds it might pick up. Seconds later, Chris asked, "Did you have your app open?" "Yes," I said, turning abruptly towards him. I was marveling at how many birds it was identifying—more than it had previously discovered in a single sound recording (11 in total). In addition to being long, the list contained a few birds that I had not encountered before, including an osprey and a green heron. Chris said that he thought he had seen an osprey. I was excited, even if I hadn't seen the large bird with my own eyes. As a friend said recently, he's given up trying to actually see the birds that Merlin identifies; he's just satisfied to hear them and to know they are there. I hope to get a chance to witness the return of the osprey on a future visit to the pond.
Earlier, we had come within 10 feet of what I think was an American goldfinch. I love seeing yellow birds, as they seem quite skittish, darting out of sight the moment they're spotted. They're so different from the ubiquitous red-winged blackbirds and American robins, which are readily seen and heard. Later, we saw a white egret across the pond, high up in a tree—its bright plumage gleaming in the sun.
After completing our bird loop around Rice Lake, we did our dog loop around Bruce Pit. I often take for granted just how much we've learned over the 16 years we've been going to the dog park. When I started visiting Bruce Pit in 2007 (when Freddie was a puppy), I was able to identify only a dozen or so breeds. Within a few years, however, I could name at least a hundred different types of dogs (according to Wikipedia, there are about 450 globally recognized breeds of dogs, not all of which—of course—come to Bruce Pit). As I wrote last fall, on World Kindness Day,
It's been rejuvenating to rediscover the park in the last few weeks. Aside from enjoying the company of my family members, I love seeing all the dogs: the intense Border Collies, the goofy Doodles, the imposing Irish Wolfhounds, the meandering Newfies, the speedy Whippets, the friendly Golden Retrievers, the playful Labrador Retrievers, the shuffling Corgis, the leaning Bernese Mountain Dogs, the doe-eyed Springer Spaniels, the soft-coated Portuguese Water Dogs. We often stop to greet the dogs and talk to their owners.
Most owners are thrilled to discuss their dogs, the traits of the breed, and the quirks of their own pet. It's through these conversations that we've learned so much about our canine companions. We do, from time to time, have conversations with fellow birders on the little bridge overlooking Rice Lake, but most days when we stop beside the pond, we are alone. Fortunately, Merlin helps to fill the gap, providing an impressive amount of information on our feathered friends.
The common factor between Rice Lake and Bruce Pit is serenity. The sense of peace both places engender comes in part from the scenery (trees, rocks, water, sand, flowers) and in part from the animals that occupy their space. Bruce Pit offers the chance to interact directly with the dogs, like a petting zoo, while Rice Lake offers a panoply of wild animals, including birds, turtles, bullfrogs, fish and muskrats. Both are places where I can momentarily forget the stress, commitments and obligations of the outside world and simply commune with nature.
