Fog

Walking this foggy morning is a different experience. The harbour is still, shorebirds are
clustered together and no waves lap the beach. I see no one else this morning on my walk
yet it is an enjoyable feeling to stroll in a slightly out of focus and muffled world. Even the
gulls are muted. The fog isolates us in silence. Out of the gloom comes a chirping birdcall.
A cheerful sparrow is busily about his business of hunting for breakfast.
Brightened, I return for mine.

Simple Pleasures

Life's simpler pleasures abound during an early morning beach walk.
Sitting on a rock, a Mourning Dove is not a specimen to be recorded in a birdwatcher's journal but it is a pleasing bird to watch and listen to for a while.
Farther on, lilacs in full bloom please several senses with their colour and perfume.
I find it entertaining to look at such commonplace things that make up the whole of our surroundings.
Discovering their innate charm is a blessing often overlooked.

 

Silence

Silence is one of a beach walk's many gifts.
With the exception of the faint sounds of a passing boat, the cries of shorebirds and the babble of wavelets, acceptable natural sounds, there is peaceful silence today.

The philosopher Soren Kierkegaard wrote that if he were a doctor and could prescribe only one
remedy, it would be silence.

A brief respite from the world's daily clamour is a healthy tonic.
I recommend daily doses.

Doing Nothing

The thought of spending even a few minutes simply doing nothing is an alien experience for
many. The work ethic by which we live tells us to stay busy and be productive.
There is much to be said for doing nothing from time to time.
But are we really doing nothing?
Merely sitting, relaxing, watching the shorebirds, hearing the waves and feeling the wind and
the warm sun on your face is a wonderful input to the senses.
Pardon my sitting here on the seawall doing nothing for a while.

Spring, The Wetlands

Even as the first green cattail shoots appear the Red Wing Blackbirds have returned to our bay.
One of the earliest and most populous migratory birds, the Red Wing Blackbird nests in the
wetlands and provides early colour and sound to today's walk. Being omnivorous, they are content to feed on insects and seeds equally. The male is colourful and easily spotted by listening
for their distinct mating call. The female is harder to find. She is smaller and drab in comparison
to better blend in during nesting. I was happy to catch this fellow in full song.

A Sign of Spring

A wonderful day for a walk and the beach revealed several signs of spring. I noticed that the
trees are in full bud, especially the Lilacs, so it will not be long before leaves appear.
A Cormorant caught what appeared to be a larger fish than he could handle. I watched while he made repeated dives trying to reposition the fish until finally he was able to flip it up and swallow it. His angling skills were far better than the several early fishermen I encountered today.
Walking home along the beach road I came across a blooming group of Colt's Foot.
Often mistaken for Dandelions, the Colt's Foot is a spring flower that turns into a ground covering vine in summer. They bloom before their leaves appear and I was very happy to see it.
It was the first wildflower of this year that I have encountered on the beach.

The Ring Billed Gull

I did not even get off the dock for my walk today when I came across a Ring Billed Gull
just standing, watching the world and enjoying the spring sun.
A sure sign of spring is the crisp whites of it's mating plumage, something that takes 3 years to
come in fully for this species. I wondered if he is one of our permanent residents or one that
migrates from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great lakes annually. Both are plentiful here.
They are the custodians of our beach, cleaning up any dead or dying small fish that come ashore.
They are also not above stealing your sandwich if the opportunity presents itself.
I did not disturb him as I moved past and we both enjoyed the beach, each in our own way.