Pieces of sunlight drift by my window as I first open my eyes this morning. Goldfinches are back!
Yet I cannot hear them sing. Even the bay is quiet—dead calm, flat waters, slack tide. Barely any bird sings. It’s as if the earth has inhaled and is holding her breath—all anticipation, receptive to the unfurling of spring and the reinvigorating of her body. It’s a pause in the flow of life, a moment to glance backward and forward.
Now the trio of ancient firs on the bluff glitters in the morning glow all lit up with sparkly life—goldfinches bouncing along the boughs. How can I draw from their delight in this new day? How can I duplicate their joy, store it in some bodily battery to fuel my long day ahead? How can I infuse my tired spirit with their enthusiastic flutterings? How can these tiny perfect birds lift my heavy heart?
They just did.
I want to be one of them, a tiny member of this golden flock…I land on a long branch dipping gently in the breeze as the slick needles tickle my feet. I smell sweet sap warming in the sun and find my breakfast hiding in the bark. The view from here is both spectacular and ordinary to me, because all I see is beauty from my point of view. In fact, we finches have no word for beauty—it just is our world.
CONTEMPLATIONS
• What anticipation glimmers in your vision?
• What are your sources of personal energy?
• How will you employ your own renewed life force?
• What is the promise you make to yourself today and send forth on the wings of the goldfinch? That this is the season to culminate and consummate your dreams?
Here’s a spring treat: listen to the goldfinch from this episode of Bird Notes, created by Seattle Audubon.
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Do some more birdwatching here.
April 17th, 2009 at 12:43 am
Another beautiful post.
We have goldfinches visit our garden too, though the ones in the UK look different to yours, see here http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/g/goldfinch/index.asp
Love the images and how you have captured these moments.
April 17th, 2009 at 8:10 am
Thanks, Susannah, for sharing that photo. It’s as if our goldfinch flew too close to the sun, or fell asleep basking in its glow and ended up with a sunburned face! So unexpected to see that bright red face…but also very beautiful. We also have rosy finches here, which I’ll write about later, but they don’t have that red face. Or maybe your finches are blushing!
I was in the woods yesterday picking a few Saskatoon branches for a vase, as they are just starting to bloom, and a female goldfinch sat inches from me watching, not the least bothered by my presence. Delightful little creatures to have as neighbors. ~Oriana