Days of Woodnotes Fading

 

In the muggy days of mid July

bird song begins to dwindle

melodies once heard all day

never ending, like a persistent tune from a fiddle

thrushes voicing still, lyrics of the forest

an anthem of a lush summer grove

accompanied now by cicadas constant humming

A rise and fall, like a tea kettle upon a stove

Savannah sparrows present a verse of reticence

subtly springing over continual insect buzzing

As though a choirman were projecting a brief falsetto

keeping music alive in an ever quiet midsummer meadow

A ceaseless dimming of bird ballads

little reason to warble as July comes to close

in verdurous setting it feels poignantly placid

A descending season of fading woodnotes

Mid July is officially here, which means each day hereafter will be increasingly quiet of birds. Certain species have been long done breeding and have already gotten quiet, but quite a few birds are still singing around here. Albeit, not nearly as constant as they were in May and June. I often dread this time of Summer, because I feel more at peace when the birds are singing. I've come to realize there's a poignant beauty to this time of year. 

It allows one to feel thankful for the birds that haven't yet ceased their singing. If you can find the right place, quiet of humans; there is a true peace to the late July world. It's a transition period, the birds dwindle out and the insects start to get louder. There is peace to be had from sitting in an open meadow in August in mid afternoon and hearing nothing but the subtle buzzing of insects, and perhaps a small breeze through the prairie grasses. 

Summer is not yet over, in fact it feels like it just begun. It's important to remember that though the birds get quiet, there are still plenty of them around. Most species stick around until mid/late September before migrating. So there is plenty of birdwatching to be done, it's a season of working harder to see and identify species. I've enjoyed this season of woodnotes perhaps more than any other before, because I experienced it with my little one. I took him for countless morning walks, in the heat of migration often times getting 40 species or more. He loves being outside and on the move, so Spring and early Summer worked well for me to bird as I carried him or pushed his stroller. 

This worked pretty well because the birds were singing, and I have a good ear for them. Now that the singing is soon to be over, my lists will be much smaller. I often times don't carry my binoculars anymore. I feel its unsafe to try and use them while out alone with my infant son. I'll still be birding no doubt, observing what I can and listening for the little calls and chips as the birds switch to a quieter form of communicating.