While I am not really a birdwatcher, I do enjoy spending time with my spouse as she pursues her hobby. However, there are certain birds that I look forward to seeing when we are out and about. One of them is the Reddish Egret.
This is a large bird found year around all along the Gulf Coast but is most prevalent in late Spring and Early Summer. It stands 2-3 feet tall and has a classic egret shape. It gets its name from the reddish head and neck. But I do not usually recognize it by its plumage. We can usually spot them when they are hunting for food in the shallow coastal waters. Follow this link and you will get some idea of what I mean. Reddish Egret
This bird dances for its supper. It prances and pirouettes, slinks and skulks, freezes into a statue and then lashes out faster than the eye can follow. I have sat in awe as a single bird covered several hundred feet of shoreline with the graceful ballet of a hungry Prima Dona. The Reddish is much admired by other birds in the marsh. We have watched as White and Snowy Egrets mimic their moves but never with the same grace. I can remember watching a bird we believed to be a white egret demonstrating the grace and power of a Reddish, only to discover that we were watching the much rarer White Morph of the Reddish Egret. For this bird, life is more than sticking you head in the mud and pulling up a worm. Dancing brings them a much better meal and life!
One of my great struggles is boredom. While I enjoy routine, I will become bored with it. I cannot eat the same food every day. I cannot follow the same schedule every week. I do not enjoy driving the same road all the time. I can binge on a TV show but will soon tire of it. When boredom sets in I can lose my joy. In moments like these I need to listen well to my friend the Reddish Egret. In the words of the great philosopher Dr. Johnny Fever, “Sometimes ya’ jus’ gotta dance!”
Trying new types of food eaten in new ways led me to a menu far greater than mud worms. I discovered the joy of chop sticks, even when eating rice. I found delight in the flavors and textures of sushi and the heat of Caribbean curries. I have danced with Moroccan Tagine and Canadian Poutine. When I have the opportunity to eat at a new restaurant, it is fair to say my eyes dance over the menu in search of a tasty morsel from the sea of life. Sometimes ya’ jus’ gotta dance!
Exploring new places with my camera allows my soul to soar over the vast beauty of our lives. The camera has allowed me to scan the heavens for the Milky Way. It has invited me to waltz with the bears and bison of Yellowstone. The camera has allowed me to play in the Grand Canyon and among the ruins of the ancient Anasazi. It has permitted me to peer into the secret world of bugs and butterflies. I may return once or twice to see what I missed on my first visit, but it never matches the thrill of seeing something new through the camera lens. Sometimes ya’ jus’ gotta dance!
But even when all I have is the Same Old, Same Old in my life, I can still dance. Next time you are out and about, look more closely at the things that are familiar. It may look like a plain old Egret but stay with it. It may just start to dance. And when it does, join in. Do not settle for mud worms. There is a grand menu waiting for those of us who jus’ gotta dance!
Blessings!
Bob