We have arrived at the middle of August. Last week’s autumn chill has given way to late summer heat. The landscape is parched and some trees have started dropping leaves. There is talk of hit or miss showers but the steady rain we need remains in the illusive distance.
A couple of nights this week the air was filled with the calls of osprey. Once I looked up and saw five, another time seven. Those groupings flying high above us were probably juveniles.
It appears the parents have all headed south, leaving the kids to practice life skills for a couple of weeks before they, too, migrate. The broods from both nests continue to use the nest as home base and roosting place. The birds raised at the beach appear to be a bit more mature and spend more of their day away from the nest. In the next week or two most of the remaining osprey will be gone.
Suddenly everywhere I go I see small birds forming flocks. On Sunday I was driving by a large (by New England standards) corn field when I notice there were hundreds of swallows darting and swooping above it. Clearly they were franticly feeding, an activity that went on for hours. As I watched I thought about Hitchcock.
One of our friends who grew up on a local farm suggested that given how dry things are insects may be in short supply, encouraging binge eating and a somewhat early migration.
Yesterday was hot, so when I had to make a quick trip to the grocery I stopped at the deli to pick up some premade salads. With the exception of fresh corn, dinner was cold which was just fine with me. I ate later than usual, then went out into the evening to check the state of the osprey and the world.
While at the market I notices a man teaching his pre-teen son how to shop for fresh fruits and vegetables. His teaching was masterful so, when the boy went off to way potatoes, I told the dad that he was being a stellar father. The man looked confused for a moment, then smiled broadly and gave me a thumbs up. I see so little good parenting that sometimes I need to acknowledge it when I see it.
Here’s to good parents of all kinds!
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