Bird love

Is there something about getting older that makes you start noticing the natural world more than you did as a kid? I remember all too well the boredom of loooong drives with my parents, and my frustration at how they would go on and on (and on and on) about flowers and birds and all that stuff sure to bores the life out of most people under 20.

But now, on the wrong side of 30, I can't take my eyes off the wildlife.

Last year, I was fascinated by the arrival of a family of owls on the trail south of Manning. This weekend, I was led on a merry chase down the trail by the bluest bird I've ever seen. The way he stayed in front of me, but just out of reach, moving on when I got within 10 feet of him, it was like the little guy knew I was totally enamoured, and was teasing. At one point, he sat on a branch overhanging the rails for several minutes, almost within touching distance for several minutes before my dog wanted to investigate, too, and the bird took off.

I couldn't wait to get home to find out what he was, and he was indeed a 'he'- a male Indigo Bunting, to be precise. So vibrant and amazingly blue, I can't wait to see him again.