"The sound of birds stops the noise in my mind." - Carly Simon
My mind is always going. And not just going...but going and going and going!
Thoughts. Worries. Pictures. Memories. Lights. Questions. Worries. More Thoughts. More Worries.
For me, I find it really hard to turn my mind off. It's hard to just meditate (although I need to really learn and work at it because it is valuable). I have to replace it with something. And the best things for me are driving, music and nature.
Hey! Birds are both music and nature! I guess that's one reason they are so healing for me. It's definitely a form of meditation to drive to where birds are (even if it's just a nearby park), listening to healing music, and then spend some time either sitting, walking, or driving around looking and listening to birds.
On this slightly cloudy and foggy afternoon (after lots of 100 degree plus weather!), I decided to head over to Cosumnes on the spur of the moment for a bit of solitude and healing. And of course to see what birds might be visiting in the early fall migration.
I started off, as I always do at Cosumnes, by driving down Bruceville Road and the fields and ponds over on that side. I was greeted by hawks and adorable baby cows! These two stopped their playing to stare at me as I pulled up. The four baby calves were so cute as a mama cow stood guard!
I was a bit surprised because most of the ponds were still dry. I guess I shouldn't have been that surprised since we had been having such a hot and dry summer. But I'm always saddened and surprised at the lack of water when I travel around the Western U.S. now.
But there was some water and ducks in one of the ponds on Bruceville as well as one pond across from the Visitor Center parking lot that had a bit of water in it. I could see ducks and some wading shorebirds there so I decided to park and walk over.
An older woman was sitting on the bench on the viewing platform so I hung back a bit so as to not disturb her. I guess I needn't have bothered because she got up and walked over to greet me. She was very friendly and we stopped and talked about birds and nature for about 10 minutes which was quite nice. Then we wished each other well and changed places with her walking to her car by the Visitor's Center and I taking her place on the viewing platform.
I didn't sit on the bench as the water was not up to the viewing platform. Instead, I planted myself on the edge of the platform with my feet in the wild grass surrounding it.
There were quite a few birds who looked similar to each other but also slightly different? I believe these are Long-billed Dowitchers.
I highly recommend when you have too much going on in your head, replace it with the joyful noise of birds and the visions of sunset. It'll do wonders for your mental health. Plus remind you that there is beauty and amazement to be found all around you and that the world is still a beautiful place.
xoxo
Panasonic Lumix Fz80
