Incidental birding

It's been a summer of activities that allow me to view birds, but not pursue them. Perhaps we enjoyed the rattling calls of Belted Kingfishers leading us down the Little Eau Claire River as we paddled, or had close enounters with Turkey Vultures as we stood atop a high point in Lansing Iowa, overlooking the Mississippi River.
Maybe it's just been looking out my kitchen window as I cooked, enjoying the garden variety birds that hang out nearby.

Doesn't matter....even though I haven't pursued bird sightings lately as in the past, I find that understanding their behavior, knowing their songs and calls and being alert to their presence adds to my enjoyment of the world outdoors. Wouldn't it be wonderful if everyone found their particular nature passion, whether it be birds, snakes, trees or any of the many other delights that await us? If we can only appreciate what's out there to teach us, perhaps the assault on our environment could be turned. It's easy to dismiss "birds," less so, " a lone Whooping Crane on the flowage."