How Has Your Sit Spot Changed? AN Update…
Hello again. Here we are still at home watching spring come into full bloom. Or trying too…I keep waiting for the trees and shrubs to come into full leaf and so far they’ve barely budded, which gives me a great opportunity to observe birds in all their spring behaviors of actively building nests and singing new songs. While continuing to do my sit spot I had noticed the arrival of a new migrating warbler. Then the other day I was lucky enough to catch it in action, collecting the hairs from my goats winter coats that lay scattered on the ground. Hopping, grabbing, hopping, grabbing. Before flying away, she glanced at me with a big white mustache of hairs. How close have you been able to get to a bird? Have you tried sketching one at your spot yet? What size and shape was it? What color was its bill? How long was the tail? Did it have any distinct markings or coloration on its face or body?
Most of the time we are not even aware of how much we use our senses to take in information. It can be fun to challenge yourself to use them in a different way at your sit spots. Next time you go out bring a blind fold with you, settle in and put it on. Can you identify all the birdcalls you hear? Are there any new calls or sounds you never noticed before? Do things smell stronger? If there are trees close enough, try getting up and feeling the bark of the nearest one. Can you tell what it is just by the feel of it? If you are really feeling brave, try taking your shoes off and walking a few steps in each direction. Can you identify what you are walking on by feel?
Taking the time to sit and observe at my sit spot always leaves me feeling more grounded and connected to everything around me. It is common knowledge that birds and other animals communicate with each other but did you know that trees do too? Another great book that I can recommend is “The Hidden Life of Trees” by Peter Wohlleben. Having spent over 20 years as a forester in Germany, this author shares his observations and reflections on nature and the trees he has encountered. A book that will definitely give you pause for thought, the next time you visit your sit spot.
-Jay Sullivan, Staff Naturalist, Great Bay NERR
For more info on sit spots read Jay’s first and second blog.
