Eye Eye!

Let me begin with gratitude for the sound of a Green Heron’s “skeow” in the trees above me as I was taking the recycling down this morning. It is a cool sound. I did not see the bird, nor did I look very hard for it. I knew it was up there in the shadows, but I don’t see very well in low light, or at a distance, for now. But that is going to change.

We have scheduled cataract surgery for me. They are going to do one eye on 2 July and if all goes well, the second on 13 July. I have complete confidence in the procedure, but it is stressful in general and I am dealing with my tendency toward anxiety, certainly nothing new for me. We will have to push back our departure for Oz by a few weeks, possibly a month, but it doesn’t really affect our plans too much. We will just change our travel routes accordingly and I will be able to see so much better! I am so grateful. I was more than a little worried about going off on the biggest year of birding of my life with poor vision.

Ah, there is a beautiful Great-crested Flycatcher, a regular yard visitor and one of my favorites. I haven’t seen the pair of Pileated Woodpeckers this morning, but I heard some knocking. There are lots of Blue Jays, Mourning Doves, Common Grackles and House Finches out there among the trees as usual. Having “dimmer” vision, I have gotten a little better at silhouette identification, but as I said, soon I will be seeing much better and I am truly grateful.

I will leave you with a few yard shots from last June. Here is a Green Heron on the next-door neighbor’s roof and the Pileated Woodpeckers. I wonder if it is the same pair this year? It seems like it would be.

Pileated Woodpecker (M) Hylatomus Pileatus

Pileated Woodpecker (F) Hylatomus Pileatus

Green Heron, Butorides verisens

Birds. Peace. Love. Earth. Laughter. Music.