Sometimes the most ordinary happenings turn into awesome spectacles. A couple of weeks ago I headed off to a local lake to see what lingering ducks or early grebes could be photographed. The minute I left my driveway, I knew something special was happening—and it had nothing to do with ducks. There were literally tens of thousands of American Robins moving through the city. Every boulevard tree, and the grass below, was covered with robins. I counted forty in one tree! American Robins are common. I have a pair nesting in my yard. But when you see them in those numbers, they will stop you in your tracks. I must have watched them for a couple of hours. They did ordinary things like dropping down on the lake shore to drink, or gobbling up left over fruit from the crabapple trees. They probed the grass for grubs. They chirped and they whinnied and they sang. And I, I just took it all in honoring the extraordinary spectacle by paying attention to it.

Not a week later, magic happened again. I had driven my husband to work and upon returning, I noticed a flurry of activity in my neighbor’s yard as I got out of the car. His entire European Mountain Ash was covered with migrating Cedar Waxwings. I quickly dashed into the house and grabbed my tripod and big lens, hoping against hope that the birds would stay put. Those were some hungry birds. They paid no attention to me whatsoever. I photographed them in the tree. I photographed them on the grass. I photographed them from twenty feet and then from ten. All in all, I spent an hour in close contact with Cedar Waxwings. I listened to them converse. I watched them squabble. Mostly, I appreciated their beauty and gave thanks for the opportunity to get so close to their kind.

Read the rest of the Vija's column in our June issue...