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How to Know the Birds – an
Introduction to Bird
Recognition
Finding myself far from city concrete
in the Green Mountains of Vermont,
listening to many birds, even seeing them,
thought how nice to learn about birds.
Bought a book. Told me:
North America has 650 species.
Robins wouldn’t practice miscegenation.
One out of every six birds is a warbler.
A creeper climbs trees upwards in spirals.
Had listened to a bird sing:
Here comes the bride.
Dubbed it the marrying bird,
saw it performing solemn ceremonies in forests.
Turned out to be the white-throated sparrow,
yup sparrow, and it was really singing:
‘Old Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody’…. Who he?
But it was a real poetic bird book.
“The laugh of a loon on a northern lake
is like the mirth of a maniac.”
I found out the marrying bird,
confirmed blue jays and the hairy woodpecker,
so got my money’s worth.
Found out that in the East
are five kinds of brown thrushes.
They all go through Washington D.C.
Won’t say anything about ducks,
‘cept the ruddy duck,
which is the only ruddy duck
can’t walk on ruddy land.
Always liked sea gulls,
found shouldn’t call em sea gulls.
Always hated pigeons,
found they was doves.
Found a line:
“When warblers surge Northward in May
bird watchers reach yearly climax.”
Guess I’ve read enough for now.
Can’t find the bird that gloats: I’ll tell your
mother,
but have it on authority that jays are crows,
and so intelligent they will dispute the earth with
dolphins,
when Man is gone.
Didn’t mean to interject
a sour note into bird thoughts,
but panic over precise identification
of warblers and sparrows
ended this rumination. |