Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Court, and Cattleman Trail. A fragment of its earlier extent, my forest was
patchy and invaded, but green enough to lure me closer.
As I birded my way through the subdivision, I was drawn back in time:
Brown thrashers still sing the repertoires they pilfer from others and then, as
if embarrassed by mimicry, dart into the undergrowth. Pairs of cardinals are
everywhere, nearly one duo per garden. No longer the shy resident of distant
woods as they were a century and a half ago, they seem to outnumber even the
robins. There are plenty of native cavity nesters, including white-breasted
nuthatches that I see carrying food to nestlings, tufted titmice, black-capped
chickadees, downy woodpeckers, and red-bellied woodpeckers. There are no
red-headed woodpeckers; this once-common acorn specialist is now rare every-
where. A red-tailed hawk uses the power poles to hunt the grass for voles and
mice; I suspect a nest nearby. I tally eighteen species in a morning survey.
Most of what I count are birds that live here year-round; it is too early for
many migrants to have returned. Yet I am surprised to not have encountered
an early-arriving warbler such as the Louisiana waterthrush; the only warbler
I tally is the common resident yellow-rumped warbler. Perhaps these woods
are too dissected, sprayed with insecticides, and groomed to provide insects
and solitude for migrants facing the unusual dryness of a mild winter and
early spring bloom.
People who now live in my childhood wilderness seem busy and intrigued
with nature. I see lots of bird feeders and no loose cats. But nobody seems to
veer from the streets or walkways. There are no trails in the grass, and none
penetrate the woods. I i nd only one old tree house—near the place I used
long ago with my friends. I'm glad to know some kids have been here. But as I
scramble through the redbud to get a closer look, wondering whether this fort
could be ours, I see little sign of recent use. The sprawling tree supporting
this hideout has fallen, and the carpet, plastic tarps, and wood are scattered
about. Maybe some of the wood was recycled from our ef orts, but this was
