After a quiet winter, at least in respect to wildlife, there’s a lot of buzz going on in the outdoors, and I don’t mean the bees or gossip. As I go for my almost daily walks, I never cease to hear or see something that fills me with wonder.
I often hear what I refer to as the percussion section, with a well-played drumroll from an unseen partridge, let’s call him Danny from the Partridge Family (Okay, I’m dating myself here.) This soft drumroll also reminds me of the days when I could hear the marching band practicing off in the distance in late summer as they prepared for the upcoming football season. Raising three children who would become band geeks for a time, this takes me back and puts a smile on my face.
I hear the tenacious woodpeckers of many varieties, which I consider woodland carpenters hard at work as though in a construction zone. There’s a lot going on out there. Speaking of construction, many a home is being built this time of year and instead of grumbling and the occasional expletive, all I hear is joyful noise as happy builders whistle while they work. If only the human world were a little more that way, trusting that all will work together for good, knowing that all their needs will be met by their creator. (A familiar hymn comes to mind here.)
Not all the sounds are related to employees hard at work. Some of this busyness is related to an overwhelming desire to begin or grow a family. Of course, for that, you need a mate. And to attract the perfect mate takes a little effort, especially on the part of the male it would seem. He must prove his worthiness. In the bird world, visually pleasing is essential. But how does one attract the attention of his intended if he can’t get her to even give him a second look? That’s where some skillful vocalization comes in handy. It sure seems to work for the turkey, among other birds. Who could ever question the intent of the forte evening sounds of the bullfrog? Or the persistent chirp of the cricket?
Of course, the bees will soon be busy doing their thing too as they pollinate the many colorful flowers nature provides as part of the Master plan for perpetuation of plant life. Looking forward to more from my front row seat.
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