Nature watching

To note the daily weather, along with the types of trees and where they grow, when various wildflowers bloom, along with the topography of the land, and what birds are about in the brush does not mean that I am an observer only. These observations are for me the very means of experiencing and engaging the world around me.

To see a bird outside the window is one thing. To see that there are 4 female Northern Cardinals foraging on the ground by the wood pile (where are the males?), along with a few busy White-throat Sparrows, a bobble-head Mourning Dove, and a male Goldfinch flashing yellow through the low branches above is quite another thing. My detailed observation forges a bond, a relationship.

Increased observation brings increased engagement with its object. It brings me outside of myself and recognizes the world more fully as it is: independent of me. This noticing of detail brings about true engagement and the fuller experience that comes with it. Increased observation brings increased wonder.