THE WONDER OF WATCHING A BIRD...

Rex Burress

One of the wonders of the world is to see a wild bird flying. Although mankind has been able to take to the air with metal devices, birds attained the wild freedom of the skies with body and feathers long ago, and gave us an inspiring facet of nature to love and admire.

In January, I was watching some of the winter migratory golden eye ducks down by the Feather River at Oroville, admiring their flashy white and dark colors, just as the smaller bufflehead presents that uplifting pattern, and I was reminded of the same species being part of the Lake Merritt migratory diving ducks in the city of Oakland.

For 32 years I was part of that unique refuge, and the daily interaction made me feel like one of the flock! It seemed entirely miraculous at the beginning of winter when those ducks started arriving after their long journey from the far north to fulfill age-old instincts. Then in the spring, the different species gathered in their family flocks and disappeared into the skies. I found it wonderful and felt privileged to have such a job connected to birds and nature.

Naturalist Paul Covel felt that wonder too, and he became dedicated to sharing the mysteries of nature, which led to him leading a program of explaining the intricacies of nature with the public. Thus the birth of the Oakland Rotary Natural Science Center [now Rotary Nature Center] was born in 1953 to help take advantage of the precious wild duck gift to Lake Merritt. “The building is a home for the naturalist and his followers,” said the happy leader—which has become one of the greatest assets of Oakland, Bringing Nature and People Together. May it continue on into the future.

Although the Lake Merritt migratory waterfowl was recognized back in 1870 when official laws were made that provided protection, it wasn't until the 1930's that Covel noticed the uniqueness of having wild waterfowl in the middle of a city, and started giving interpretive talks about their natural history. Paul's enthusiasm led to him being noticed by park superintendent innovator William Mott who hired and arranged for Paul to lead a naturalist program centered around the ducks but involving every segment of nature, including plants and nature hikes in the hills.

Meanwhile, as part of the naturalist staff of four, I was groping among the birds, wading to the deep-water banding trap, poking about on the five man-made islands and the egret rookeries, participating in the daily bird feeding and lectures, and in general enjoying the bird life.

The wonder of wild bird watching followed me right into retirement near the Feather River, where there were even more migratory birds, connected with nearby valley marshes and the annual Snow Goose Festival.

The intrigue of watching birds is rather mysterious and difficult to explain why certain people do it, somewhat like a mountain climber trying to explain why they take the enormous risk and exert extreme effort to reach the top. It is more than “because it's there,” reaching a spiritual plain as if the desire is to get close to the almighty creator.

Looking down from a plane onto flying swans flapping over earth far below is downright scary! To plummet from that far height is death. What self-efficiency and confidence to ascend into those perilous spaces with only feathers, instincts, and strength of wing!

Aside from bird tallying as a hobby, there is also a spiritual flow of a fellow bird-earth-creature drifting in the heights on glorious wings and thrilling mankind. When all else fails, try birds!

On a migrating warbler out over the ocean: “I wonder why it was she forsook her familiar land to be miles from shore over churning waves? What a gesture of ancient faith and present courage! What a defiance of circumstances and death!” --Henry Beston, 1928