Weekly Reflection
Our reflection from the SUUS COVID-19 Advisory Group this week comes from Enrique Alvarez Sotomayor
Every year around late March, I start to feel anxious. A feeling that is shared by a group of us with an interest in birds. For months now, the source of my anxiety has been slowly migrating north after wintering far away in South America. When will they arrive? Who around here will be the first one to see the arrival? How will our season be? Nature inspires us, and this is especially true as we now sit and wait for those first Purple Martin scouts to arrive along the shoreline. This inspiration is not just about caring for the birds; it’s about all of us as we come together in caring for each other. Last year we lost a member of our group to cancer. I can’t look at the birds now without feeling this person’s warmth, enthusiasm and kindness.
Guess what? Regardless of our current stress and forced separation, nature is out there. Granted, every so often nature can be a tad mean and thoughtless; throwing cancer or a virus our way. But even when I’m sheltering in place at home, I can see my birds. I hear them calling. I can feel excitement at the thought of their return. I see the beauty of the first hatchling and the sadness when, late in the summer, the lovely songs they provide us with suddenly grow quiet as the season ends and they go looking for warmer skies to fly in.
Mid-summer will be here soon. To me, a magical moment comes when I’m out in the marsh surrounded by all the young martin fledglings as they learn to socialize in a huge flock. Hundreds of birds happily chattering away, chasing each other, asking for a free meal from a parent and imprinting on their home colony. The magical side of nature is that it offers renewal. She is also cyclical and we are part of her cycles, even when we now find ourselves hiding from her. Once we get past these challenging times, maybe you can come with me and feel the joy a simple bird can bring to anyone who listens.