I have a much greater appreciation for nature now that I have a real relationship with it rather than just a religious or philosophical view point.
Just a few minutes ago I was delighted to see a bald eagle fly past my window being chased by a seagull. Until a year ago this was a very common sight, as the eagles come across the inlet to feed on or raid the nests of other birds such as pigeons which frequent the nearby granaries. But a year ago a greedy hunter slaughtered about 60 eagles. The feathers and talons were removed for sale on the U.S. black market for such items, which are used for various traditional purposes in indigenous cultures. After that, eagle sightings from my window stopped, though I could still see them in other parts of the city. So to see an eagle again from my window was truly delightful.
Also, this weekend I twice saw a bird I've never seen before, and managed to get a great picture of it too. It was a Black Oyster Catcher! What a beautiful beak it has. It was feeding near a huge flock of Surf Scoters. Until I was able to identify them I called them sea ducks, which is the term I used to search for them online. They are very distinctive and sea ducks is apparently a nickname, and so I easily identified them. When I downloaded my pictures I noticed that scattered amongst them were a few seagulls. One reason I was able to identify them as Scoters, besides their distinctive look, is that it is very common to see gulls with scoters because the gulls wait for the scoter to surface and then they steal their food from them. It's believed that is one of the reasons surf scoters feed in huge flocks, so they have a better chance of eating the food they catch.
One of my projects for next spring and summer is to try to get a picture of a golden warbler. I've seen their brilliant flashes of yellow as they flit from branch to branch, and can hear their distinctive call, but they're so small and quick and hide so well in the light and shadows that I have yet to photograph one.
I don't think anyone would mistake me for the stereotypical bird watcher (remember Miss Hathaway on the Beverly Hillbillies), but there's just something about birds. I really hate to see birds in cages, and I'm often tempted to do what Leonardo da Vinci sometimes did; buy a bird at a pet shop and then set it free. I don't do that because I'm not certain they'll survive, but instead I've placed on old bird cage on my balcony, wired open the door, placed a seed bell inside, and for several years now, sparrows come and go as they please, entering the cage to feed. And each year, they bring their babies to this exclusive feeding spot.