Ferida's Wolff's Backyard: Yellow Bird and New Growth
Yellow Bird
There are many kinds of birds around our house – sparrows, crows, blackbirds, cardinals, pigeons, robins, chickadees and geese, just to name a few. They hang around our gardens, munching on seeds, and each time I open my front door I am greeted with the flapping of wings as sparrows vacate our front bushes. That’s usual. A few days ago, however, there was something not usual in our driveway; a brilliant, yellow canary was munching on a plant strip right outside our door.
I wondered where it came from. Did it escape from a cage in someone’s house? Was it a wild variation that flew in from somewhere else? I thought that I might offer it some food and shelter in case it was a loose house bird and unused to being outside but as soon as I took a tiny step forward, it yelled at me in bird talk and flew off.
I watched for it later that afternoon and the next day, hoping that if it had been a needy house bird it would find its way back for shelter. But I didn’t see it again. I hoped that it would be safe on its own. It was certainly a surprise to see a canary in the wild but also a joy that remains in my visual memory.
A canary is part of the finch family:
https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/finch-or-canary-whats-the-difference/
Climate; Canary in the Coalmine: Impact of Climate Change on Birds; By following birds, we learn about the greatest threats they and our communities face. And we find ways to address them.
Editor's Note: The Story of the Real Canary in the Coal Mine; Used until 1986, the humble canary was an important part of British mining history, Smithsonian Magazine; ttps://review.gale.com/2020/09/08/canaries-in-the-coal-mine/
©Ferida Wolff for SeniorWomen.com
New Growth
I kept seeing what I thought was a dead tree on my walks through my community. The trunk and upper branches were severely cut and mostly bare. I wondered how long it would be before it would have to come down. Then something happened – it started to show new growth, with new bottom branches putting out lots of green leaves. It wasn’t done with its life yet.
The new growth was coming out just as the pandemic appearing to be easing. It seemed like a it was speaking to all of us. For the past year we have been huddled into ourselves, like the tree, but we were just waiting for enough of us to get vaccinated so that we could extend our activities, expand our personal connections, and get back out in the world.
I smile at the tree metaphor whenever I pass. I hope that it continues to flourish and show the world its power and beauty. And I wish the same for the rest of us, too.
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