[mou] Good backyard day

[Laura Erickson]

I've had excellent backyard birding today, with a Scarlet Tanager singing 
and calling and coming out into the open this morning, a male Eastern 
Towhee singing and visiting my bird seed all day, and a dozen species of 
warblers.  There are still three Harris's Sparrows feeding and singing 
persistently, 5 remaining Lincoln's Sparrows, a few White-crowns, and lots 
of White-throats and Chippies.  The female Bobolink that appeared late last 
week has moved on, hopefully to more appropriate habitat.  Today I've also 
had at least six different individual Baltimore Orioles.  Despite the fog, 
the day has been pleasing to the ears and eyes.

Laura Erickson
Duluth, MN

Producer, "For the Birds" radio program
<http://www.lauraerickson.com/>

There is symbolic as well as actual beauty in the migration of 
birds.  There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of 
nature--the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after the winter.

                                 --Rachel Carson

As nightfall does not come at once, neither does oppression.  In both 
instances, there is a twilight when everything remains seemingly 
unchanged.  And it is in such twilight that we all must be most aware of 
change in the air--however slight--lest we become unwitting victims of the 
darkness.

                                 --Justice William O. Douglas