There was a vocal Rose-breasted Grosbeak. I stood below a tree, listened and scanned the branches for fifteen minutes. Saw a silhouette flit to a new branch, but lost it. So it goes. Birding by ear gives a general idea where a bird is. You know where a sound is coming from, but can’t pinpoint: second branch from the top, to the left, not facing this way.
Wonderful post, James. I love the emphasis here on learning to listen, to hear birds not only as a way of identifying them but of deepening our awareness. And your shift in focus to ferns also brings a great deal of appreciation for the natural world. Thanks for a great article.
Thank you, Heidi. Deepening awareness and shifting emphasis are among the most important things humans can do—be it via birds or ferns. Thank you for reading and commenting.
Thanks, James! Growing up in Oregon, I went to a lot of outdoor schools and camps. Ferns factored into our learning really deeply and I’ve always appreciated them for their special place on the forest floor.
Your wonderful writing has sent me down a fern rabbit hole. I googled "hay scented fern and coumarin" and ended up on fragrance reddit and now I'm reading all about the smell of different ferns. Thank you.
never even eaten them. It doesn't seem to be something that English foragers do, I've always been taught that ferns are carcinogenic and they're not in any of the wild food books over here. I don't think that the main one that's eaten over there (Ostrich fern?) grows over here.
I'm in Scotland at the moment and was just browsing my Scottish flowers book and discovered that they have lemon-scented ferns growing here!
To be completely honest I haven’t even eaten them either but have always wanted to try. I did not know ferns were carcinogenic.
Sounds like you will have to stock up on lemon scented ferns while you are there—then maybe develop something for fragrance reddit, and/or Substack! I hope you saw a Surf Scoter.
Great piece James. During the pandemic I became more about my gardens and less about the birds. I like to diversify. My gardens are bursting with oxeye daisies right now and they look amazing!
I am sure they do! Diversifying is critical, and then can reveal how different interests are linked. Birds and plants, so on. Thank you for reading and commenting, Pamela
Wonderful post, James. I love the emphasis here on learning to listen, to hear birds not only as a way of identifying them but of deepening our awareness. And your shift in focus to ferns also brings a great deal of appreciation for the natural world. Thanks for a great article.
Thank you, Heidi. Deepening awareness and shifting emphasis are among the most important things humans can do—be it via birds or ferns. Thank you for reading and commenting.
Thanks, James! Growing up in Oregon, I went to a lot of outdoor schools and camps. Ferns factored into our learning really deeply and I’ve always appreciated them for their special place on the forest floor.
They are certainly unique! I’m really just beginning to devote the adequate mental bandwidth to them that they deserve.
The great writer and neurologist, Oliver Sacks, devotes a lot of writing on ferns in Oaxaca Journal. Have you read it?
I have not but will have to!
Your wonderful writing has sent me down a fern rabbit hole. I googled "hay scented fern and coumarin" and ended up on fragrance reddit and now I'm reading all about the smell of different ferns. Thank you.
Thank you Sarah.
Ferns are a lovely rabbit hole. Knowing you are interested in fermentation, I googled “can you ferment fiddleheads.” Apparently people do—have you?
Even writing this, I knew cinnamon fern as Osmunda cinnamonea but also saw it as “Osmundastrum cinnamomeum” so that became a rabbit hole.
never even eaten them. It doesn't seem to be something that English foragers do, I've always been taught that ferns are carcinogenic and they're not in any of the wild food books over here. I don't think that the main one that's eaten over there (Ostrich fern?) grows over here.
I'm in Scotland at the moment and was just browsing my Scottish flowers book and discovered that they have lemon-scented ferns growing here!
To be completely honest I haven’t even eaten them either but have always wanted to try. I did not know ferns were carcinogenic.
Sounds like you will have to stock up on lemon scented ferns while you are there—then maybe develop something for fragrance reddit, and/or Substack! I hope you saw a Surf Scoter.
Great piece James. During the pandemic I became more about my gardens and less about the birds. I like to diversify. My gardens are bursting with oxeye daisies right now and they look amazing!
I am sure they do! Diversifying is critical, and then can reveal how different interests are linked. Birds and plants, so on. Thank you for reading and commenting, Pamela
The gardens attract the birds and of course bees and other insects, so I do get my fill of both actually!
That is a win-win if I’ve ever heard one!
James I did not know much about ferns. I really enjoyed reading about them!
I’m glad you enjoyed—there is so much to learn!
I like that call of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak. I have only seen them twice - really striking-looking bird.
They’re truly gorgeous. The song is lovely. I’ve been lucky to have them visit feeders in the past, always a pleasant surprise.
Thank you for taking me on a very enjoyable journey, James.
Thank you for tagging along, Perry!