Some of us use only our field glasses; Some take informative, educative classes; Some go with others and watch what they do; There are multiple paths to learning how to watch birds, too. A different path may be liked by each… Including the level each wants to reach.

When I see another person looking into the shrubs We just look at the bird that’s getting its grubs! We look up in the trees, or peer at the water.. I don’t ask, “Whose son or daughter?”

Slowly the depth arrives in our looks; Perhaps, beyond ticking…we buy our first books; We ask the experts, or trawl the “net” As the birds’ beauty our appetites whet.

Some of us may be field-guide gobblers; Some of us may go the way of expert id-warblers; Some of us may id, just by instinct, the hawks; Some of us may attend erudite talks:

Some of us may be quiet, some use a lot of words… But there’s one great thing in common…we all love birds!

(This verse inspired by Kannan’s remark, as follows: “ A field guide is like a dictionary to me. But I know that stringing together words from the dictionary won’t give me meaningful sentences. So I look for other sources - may be even poetry…especially if it is from MBK and updated by Subbu. But I am not about to throw away my dictionary!”)

Cheers, and long live the birding community, in all its various forms, shapes, sizes, and colours…like the birds themselves!

…It occurred to me that this is true of ANY kind of learning…