Today I want to talk about my "spark bird." Sounds kind of funny, right? Am I talking about a glittery bird made from fire sparks that's about to burst into flames like the legendary Phoenix? Haha. Almost. A spark bird is the one that started it all for you. It's the bird that made you decide you would be a birder. It's a special bird, and probably your favorite one, or at least the one that gets extra attention every time you see it. My spark bird is the Magnolia Warbler, and this is the story: I was at Tifft Nature Preserve one day looking around for a little yellow bird. The Yellow Warbler breeds at Tifft in the thousands, but just for a second I could have sworn I saw a Hooded Warbler appear, and then flitter off in an instant. I was frantically searching around for the Hooded Warbler with my binoculars when out of nowhere came the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. A Magnolia Warbler. It landed on a branch right in my view where I was looking for the Hooded Warbler. It took my breath away. It filled my entire world with beauty. All there was was me and that bird in a special moment. I had no idea what it was, aside from the most spectacular gem in the universe. I just could't believe that I was the only person in the entire world enjoying that special treasure. Right then and there I decided I was going to be a treasure hunter for the rest of my life, and that I would dedicate myself to sharing that beauty I found in the Magnolia Warbler with the rest of the world. Right then and there I decided I was going to be a birder, and right now I'm still on that same mission to share the beauty of the natural world with everyone I can. I hope you find the same enjoyment in this Magnolia Warbler that I do, and if you have a spark bird story, I would love to hear it. If I ever find your spark bird, I'lll post your story along with a picture in one of my future posts.
Alison Pettit
5/10/2014 11:52:59 pm
So I will try this again. I'm not great with IG. Can you guess my spark bird? I was canoeing in Iowa and was astounded by a bird who hovered and dove head first into the water a few feet in front of me until he finally caught a little fish. This drama opened my eyes to the exciting lives of birds and I was hooked!
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