Sometime last year I decided to start writing about my most seminal experiences in nature. These are moments that are seared into my memory they are simply, unforgettable. I treasure each of these memories for the sense of wonder , awe or sometimes fear that they instill in me. These memories, collectively, bring me back to nature time and time again. I will share one of my writings with you here.
Blue Jay
I think I was five, maybe four, and I was in the backyard where I grew up, where the trees meet the grass and the ivy clings to the fence. I remember my dad telling me there was a blue jay nest way up in the tree and my very next memory is running for my life toward the house from a blue jay that was in the act of dive bombing me. I felt fear. Real fear from a wild animal and I remember feeling very scared. My fear of blue jays has gone but I still have a healthy appreciation for their strength and assertiveness. Fast forward to, I believe, the spring of 2014, our neighbors had a blue jay nest in front of their house and overnight or early in the morning one of the fledglings fell out and crawled up to my stoop. When I left for work the next morning I walked out and immediately noticed the fledgling bird looking helpless. I bent down to take a better look. After about a second I got walloped on top of my head and heard a loud screeching call pierce my ears. I held my head and stumbled back to look up and see a blue jay sitting up on a branch screaming at me. The jay had just broken my skin as there was a small spot of blood on my scalp from her beak. I had a headache the entire day and am still amazed at the force with which that bird hit me.
With memories like those it’s a wonder I have any interest in birding, at all, or, perhaps, it is because of those memories that I enjoy birding.
the suburban naturalists 