“To observe birds with the idea of finding out their useful qualities is worth while, and to study them for pure delight — for the exercise in the good outdoors and the cheerful tone it gives — is an influence which will better and broaden the life of any one. Bird-study is not always the long list of birds which you have seen or the nests discovered. Be content with little — wait for the birds — still-hunt. Envelop yourself in a hole of silence if you desire to see birds.”
- excerpt from Bird Memories of the Rockies by Enos Mills
A good thing to remember when I get obsessed with my check-list! Seeing a new life bird is a thrilling moment but it never beats the familiarity of sitting near a flock of busy sparrows and feeling like you’re with old friends.
