I rolled out on my mountain bike just as the day dawned. To the east, an orange light glowed from below the horizon. While I rode to a rocky outpost, the sun rose above the horizon and burned from behind the clouds.
When I turned to the west, I saw a stippled sky with a distant mountain.
A short time later, I saw stunningly beautiful snowy mountains reflecting the rosy hue of the sunrise.
As I gazed at the sky and mountains, I saw a bright blue bird that fluttered past me and landed on a fencepost. I rubbed my eyes in disbelief - it was the first mountain bluebird of the season! He's a forerunner for the hordes of male bluebirds who'll be scouting out their meadow territories in the coming month. When I saw him, the rising sun was still too low in the sky to fully brighten the valley so the photograph is blurry - but it truly shows a bluebird! I checked my journal, and I first saw the first bluebird on March 7 last year so today's sighting is only a few days earlier.Seeing a spring bird capped off a dazzling dawn ride.
I love the blue birds. We get them here too. To me, it doesn't feel like spring until I hear a meadowlark. But, the hummingbirds should be back in about a month. Can't wait!
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'm sound focused, but do you notice that first come mornings full of bird song, then after that, when the eggs have hatched, the sound of insects fills the air ... food for baby birds.
Roxanne,
ReplyDeleteI'm into spring sounds also. We don't get many meadowlarks here but we get hermit thrushes (lovers of deep pine forests). Their mournful song is amazing!
Right now, we're having the early morning sounds of large flocks of birds all calling at once. Later in the spring, before the insects, I hear the individual birds announcing their territories. Then, the babies and the bugs. I can't wait!