I haven’t had much luck as a “wanna be birder.” To prepare for my first outing, I had dug an old pair of binoculars out of our cabinet. As the other birders stared with fascination at the apparently rare species, all I could see were blobs of color.
For my second trip, I upped my game with a new pair of binocs. This time, my toes were so cold that I couldn’t concentrate on the few birds that were present.
I’ve heard the saying, “the third time’s a charm.” Right? Nope! This time, I chose a canoe birding adventure on the Chicago River. Being on the water was a blast, but I wasn’t coordinated enough to paddle and bird at the same time.
I had pretty much given up the birding dream when, one morning, I encountered a series of Facebook posts that featured two beautiful, snowy owls. They had been visiting Montrose Harbor for several days after migrating from the Arctic.
Later that afternoon, while out riding my bike, I spontaneously took a detour to see these celebrity birds. Hundreds of other people with high- powered cameras and binoculars had the same idea. Of course, I didn’t have my binocs. I did my best to use my camera phone to try to get a good look at them, take photos and then enlarge the shots. Two white blobs!
I had failed again as a birder, and yet, something happened on the crowded pier. All the adults and children weren’t silent, but they seemed to speak in hushed tones. There was a sense of stillness, reverence, awe and wonder as we all stood together and gazed at the magnificent creatures. As I soaked in the energy among us, it felt like I was participating in a sacred group meditation which included all the people, owls, lake and sky. We were so clearly One.
Finally, as I strolled back to my bike, I noticed a heightened sense of awareness. I stopped to watch the sun sparkle on the water and the fog mystically envelope the city skyline. A deep sense of peace arose in me.
Looking back, this experience wasn’t about getting a great picture of the birds or even seeing them clearly. It was so much bigger. For a snowy owl moment, I connected with a Great Mystery that resides in birds, people, and all of nature. It even resides in me.
When have you experienced a snowy owl moment? What was this like for you?
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