Changing Outside Observations During Pandemic

By: Michael Johnson

I suppose I have always taken the view from my front window for granted. I am probably more fortunate than most in that the scene outside is fairly pastoral, filled with well kept yards, trees, and tidy homes. But now I see the view a little differently, as the coronavirus pandemic and its effect on our daily habits and routines has allowed me to look more deeply into the details of the world outside my window. Spending more time inside looking out is not necessarily a bad thing.

The bird feeder that my mother gifted to us has always been a great source of entertainment for both my wife and myself. We love to watch the various species of avains come and go with the seasons, celebrating each arrival in the Spring, and noting the disappearance of a favorite as the weather inevitably cools with the arrival of  Autumn.

As we make our best effort to follow social distancing suggestions in our daily lives, we are spending more time watching the birds through the window, and this increase in observation has allowed us to see and understand more and more of the complex world of these fascinating creatures. A few of the regulars can be identified by their habits. Most of the visitors to the feeder take their mouthful and immediately fly off, but one particular Black Capped Chickadee leisurely eats one seed at a time while relaxing on the perch. A mating pair of Cardinals always arrives and leaves simultaneously, the female feeding on the feeder while the male feeds on the ground beneath. Without the time spent watching all of this activity through my front window, I would miss many of the details and rituals of their busy world.

The two mature Maple trees that grace my front yard serve multiple purposes, providing food and shelter for both humans and a variety of creatures. Each Spring, students from the Pulaski Academy Maple Syrup club tap the trees and later boil the sap to make syrup. I am more than happy to allow the students to access our trees, as I feel that this is a great hands-on learning experience. Sadly, this year’s tapping season has been cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic and the associated school closures.

The tree’s knotted branches and deeply textured bark possess a sculptural quality that is worthy of study, especially as the light of the sun changes throughout the day. Deep fissures and tall ridges create a plethora of patterns and create places of shelter for a myriad of plant and animal life.  Lichens and mosses add delicate shades of greens and browns, and the intensity of color changes as rains dampen and the winds dry them. These tall trees are a veritable apartment building for Grey and Red squirrels, and chipmunks scurry up and down the trunks with an endless supply of energy, fueled by many visits to the bird feeder.

Difficult times will sometimes open our eyes to things that we might not see, even if these things are right in front of us. Slowing down and changing the routine has been difficult in many ways, but to repeat an overused phrase, change is good! The view outside my front window has not changed, but the way I see it has. While I hope the coronavirus pandemic soon becomes just a bad memory, I also hope that each of us will gain something positive from this experience, even if that which is gained is something as simple as an appreciation of the view through a window.

Print this entry