Birds

Turkey in our yard

My friends have joked with me in the past that I am an old man. While there are a variety of reasons for this which I won't get into, one thing I get teased for is my love of birds.

Birds have always interested me. I remember sitting at my Great Uncle Harold's cabin when I was young and looking through his bird books. I still enjoy looking through bird books.

Often, I type my blog while sitting at the kitchen table and occasionally glancing at the two bird feeders out my window. Watching for and noticing birds while running is also something I enjoy. Sitting here, typing this blog post, I can distinctly remember many instances of birds I've seen while running.

One of the most interesting was when I was running with a buddy on the Minnesota River Bottoms trail when we spotted a raptor sitting near the river. I walked pretty close to it and got a nice view of its curved, sharp beak and its black, penetrating eyes. I couldn't tell exactly on kind of bird it was, but I would guess a juvenile bald eagle. 

Another time I was running on the Big River Regional trail. The trail climbs up on the river bluffs with a view of the river and the tops of trees below. One day, as I was running, I heard a loud squawking sound. When I got closer, I could make out below me a small bald eagle, perhaps calling for its meal.

I could go on, and if you read this far you might be interested in birds, so one more story: On a run from my house to a trail along the Minnesota River, I heard a bird that sounds a little like a monkey. I scanned the trees, looking for the source of the sound and saw a pileated woodpecker on someone's bird feeder.

If enjoying bird watching, whether on a run or watching the birds that come to my feeders, make me an old man, pass me some prune juice.