"Songbirds of the Prairie"
Deep Listening
When you begin to learn more about the ecosystem in which you're part of, there's a deepening that happens. It's mentally stimulating to learn the facts, statistics, names for members of this system; it's another to know them more deeply with each encounter at the heart and spirit level.
While I spent time with the native wildflowers last year, I met many of the birds in these precious spaces. They about demand you hear them, if not see them, as they sing and call overhead or nearby. At some point I started using the Merlin Bird ID app, and then I couldn't stop. "Who's that? What kind of call is that?" The birds have been around for 150 million years, evolving with the habitat, and we've been around for about 6 million--they are our teachers and elders, as Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer explains in "Braiding Sweetgrass."
There are many ways to get to know the land you live on, live with; once we engage in other-than-human relationship over time, the world truly opens up and we see.
As the synchronicities go, a single book recommendation from a studio crawl attendee last autumn became the foundation for this series and strengthened my relationship with the land: "What the Robin Knows" by Jon Young. It's a deep dive into bird language, how they communicate with each other and about their environments via five key vocalization types: songs, companion calls, territorial aggression, adolescent begging, and alarm calls. It's zooming way in and out, altering the way you see and hear--he refers to us relearning how to move outdoors with "deer ears and owl eyes," opening up your sphere of awareness.
Translation: this gets us out of our chattering minds, and present to what's going on around us. When you know the 'baseline' ecology of your immediate habitat through the year and over time, you notice more. Just as we get to know the birds, they get to know us. How do we get to know them? Paying attention over time. What's more: birds see you and read your energy from afar; are you plowing through in a bad mood? They pick up on that! Are you minding your energy state when you walk out the door? This practice definitely takes time, patience, and reconnecting to the instincts our ancient ancestors used for survival. Think: gut instincts, deep intuitive knowing.
Story Behind the Process
To research these beautiful, interesting, and downright humorous beings and distill that into 16 pieces of art felt a bit unfeasible. I focused on capturing a moment in time of each of their stories. Some are preparing to nest or are nesting; some are child-rearing; others are being with their mate in their habitat.
I asked the questions: where do they live? What do they forage? What might folks not know about the more familiar ones? I learned so much--it's humbling.
The large branches drawn in some of the works were foraged locally and brought into the studio. Others contain wildflowers I knew from working with them last year in the wildflower series. Special consideration was given to how the birds would relate to each other on the canvas--how they look at each other, who's together. When I view all the works together, what do I see? Love and care for each other, playfulness, sociability, community. They inspire me to listen more, and talk even less.
Some of the marks were made with a feather I had on hand (turkey feather?), and a new trail of marks--bird feet that resemble the rune Algiz, the 'eagle rune' and connector of the sky and earth. Native tradition tells of the eagle "asking humans to give up on their ego-influenced ways of hearing and perceiving and to listen to Great Spirit."
Bringing It Home
Many folks love birds. They're fascinating, adorable, and weird, and their complexities keep us guessing. They capture our hearts with their songs, staggering diversity (appearance and behavior!), and are a natural ecological barometer. They have an evolved capacity to live almost anywhere, and teach us about natural history and rhythms.
And yet:
We've lost more than 3 billion birds since 1970. Grassland birds are especially hard hit, with a 53% reduction in population--more than 720 million birds--since 1970. Why? Widespread loss and degradation of habitat due especially to agricultural intensification and urbanization--human activity.
Historically, the ability to migrate has benefitted birds, but it brings great risks. Loss of habitat for breeding, migratory stopovers, and overwintering with more and more human-made hazards (i.e. wind turbines, skyscrapers) have increased these risks exponentially over time. Even where habitat remains intact, climate shifts are impacting the birds' breeding and migration. Even house cats let loose outside kill a staggering number of birds.
The good news is that policy and conservation efforts are helping reverse some of the decline, and we are all able to do something for the birds!
Resources for Learning + Taking Action
7 Simple Actions to Help the Birds at Home
Learn more here
Why Birds Matter: the Short List
Five basic reasons birds matter
Economic Impact of Birds
Why should we care about birds? Read on!
Become a Citizen Scientist
Naturally curious, observant, and able to document your findings? Get involved with community science/citizen science initiatives! Learn more here
Plant Native Species in Your Yard
A "yard full of native plants is a yard full of well-fed birds." Ready to plant some in your yard? Try a few this spring! Learn more here and search by zip code
How to Start Birding
New to birding? Here's some info on how to get started! Remember to go slow, be quiet, attentive, and give the birds their space. And: they already saw you coming before you saw them!
Build a Nest Box
More the building type or like small projects? Learn how to build a nest box by species and host a bird pair near your home!
How to Feed Birds in Your Area
Want to start with a bird feeder? Learn more here, there are many types and different seed mixes out there!
"If one day I see a small bird and recognize it, a thin thread will form between me and that bird. If I just see it but don't really recognize it, there is no thin thread. If I go out tomorrow and see and really recognize that same individual small bird again, the thread will thicken and strengthen just a little. Every time I see and recognize that bird, the thread strengthens. Eventually it will grow into a string, then a cord, and finally a rope. This is what it means to be a Bushman. We make ropes with all aspects of the creation this way."
-San Bushman quote from "What the Robin Knows" by Jon Young
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Photography by Britta the Photographer at Studio Borealis
