Bring a Human to Work Day: Northern Water Thrush

Hello, chickadees!

I'm so pleased to present a Northern Water Thrush in the first of (what I hope!) will be a series I'm calling "Bring a Human to Work Day", perhaps to gain a little more appreciation on what all goes into making it so we get to enjoy crossing paths with these happy nomads we call birds.

This "thrush" is actually a warbler (why it's escaped being renamed, who can tell?). Since the sexes look alike, I'll go ahead and name this one "Micah", just for giggles.

Today's our first sighting of Micah since her return from wintering in Puerto Rico, though she could've crossed the New Hampshire border weeks ago, following the thawing ice in flat streams. With the thaws come access to fallen leaves underfoot, where all sorts of bug larvae hide.

Last year, I only saw her make her way at a distance, and only one time. Today, though, I like to pretend she recalls we just like to swing our "eye box" (camera) her way without trying to approach, to explain her being content to carry on with a day at her "office", the brook downhill from the house.

Here she is, looking a little coy, or maybe just giving her neck a good stretch before resuming her food gathering.

Bingo! Tasty little morsel!

She went stock still for about a minute, to my advantage! Normally, her tail bobs up and down as she walks.

I learned a lot about life watching her. 

Sometimes the hunt includes getting a face full of water...

sometimes a current will loose our footing...

other times, we have to just wade right in in search of the prize...

Many, many times it takes muscling obstacles out of the way...

as well as twisting and stretching our "all" to get things done!

And it's like all of nature agrees that just "being" and "doing one's best" is all the good and proper needed, leveraging what we know about opportunities in their seasons, good places to be for the most sensible comfort, among many other things.

Of all the places Micah could've settled, I'm glad it's right here and that she let down some of her wylde guard enough to not let us get in the way of her "be-ing". Of course, when you're a little winged thing and brave tropical storms and wintry mixes, people like me must seem like peanuts.

Still, studying the Art of Being a Bump on a Log has its advantages, and I've had a LOT of years of practice - nearly half a century!

Well, I'll sign off for now, chickadees, and see if I can get you another critter for the next "Bring a Human to Work Day".