the birds

Back around Christmas, Erin and her family took a trip to Rio, and then spent some time in a section of the Atlantic Rainforest nearby. They were given a brochure that indicated the bird species that could be found in that area, and Eliza immediately became interested.

Along with her other activities, she spent a lot of time trying to identify the bird species living there.

When we visited visited there in February and March, we also spent some time looking for bird species around Brasilia, and on trips we took into the neighboring countryside. Now she has her own field guide of the birds of Brazil. When she got it, I immediately thought about my father's old field guide which we still have here. He was a great birder, too. They would have had a great time together.

Why is it that birds are so fascinating? Some of them are beautiful.

Some of them bring us joy through their songs like the Wood Trush and the Veery. Some, like the Red Eyed Vireo sing out their song over 10,000 times a day! They are energetic, buoyant, and don't forget; they can fly!

Lady in a box: 

Oh, Mr. Webb? Mr. Webb, is there any culture or love of beauty in Grover's Corners?

Mr. Webb:

Well, ma'am, there aint much-not in the sense you mean. Come to think of it, there's some girls that play the piano at High School Commencement, but they aint happy about it. No, ma'am, there isn't much culture; but maybe this is the place to tell you that we've got a lot of pleasures of a kind here: we like the sun comin' up over the mountain in the morning, and we all notice a good deal about the birds. We pay a lot of attention to them. And we watch the change of seasons, yes, everybody knows about them. But those things-you're right, ma'am-there aint much.-Robinson Crusoe and the Bible; and Handel's "Largo," we all know that; and Whistler's "Mother"- those are just about as far as we go.

Our Town

Thornton Wilder