What's Up With the Red-Winged Blackbirds
Question
Noticing Together
Answer
Cait and Mike started dating shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic turned the world upside down. Through the Shutdown Spring of 2020, they fell into a rhythm of taking long walks together. As they walked, they shared hopes, fears, jokes, and tears. They practiced noticing the world together - the fuzzy buds on the Magnolias, the return of migratory birds, the brave Daffodils blooming in the cold, the Forsythia bursting forth along I-75, the mosaic of Spring trash revealed by the melting snow, the thriving community of Hamtramck alley cats, which especially delighted Mike. On one such walk, Cait shared with Mike how, growing up in Ithaca, NY, her dad, who ran every day, would vigilantly watch for the return of the Red-Winged Blackbirds. Every Spring, he would come home from a sweaty run and announce to Cait and her sisters, "They're back!" Cait told Mike that since her dad died in 2009, watching for the return of the Red-Winged Blackbirds has become a way to remember him and that she can still hear his voice joyously announcing their return. Mike shared with Cait how one Summer growing up, he and his cousins, Seth, Tony, and Dan, were making the pilgrimage from Detroit up to Port Austin, MI. From the car window, they noticed many birds in the ditches, fields, and forests of The Thumb. This led Mike and them to reflect on bird names and how they found the practice of naming birds based on their literal colors to be lazy and uncreative. They discussed the characteristics of Red-Winged Blackbirds and concluded that a better name might be Marshy Reed Whistler. The name stuck and to this day, they welcome the return of the Marshy Reed Whistler every Spring.
Question
An Auspicious Connection
Answer
In recent years, Mike's fascination with birds deepened. He learned of the ancient practice of Augury, a Greco-Roman religious practice of observing the behavior of birds to receive omens. According to Merriam-Webster, "Auspicious" comes from the Latin "auspex," which literally means "bird seer" (from the words "avis," meaning "bird," and "specere," meaning "to look"). In ancient Rome, these "bird seers" were priests, or augurs, who studied the flight and feeding patterns of birds, then delivered prophecies based on their observations. The right combination of bird behavior indicated favorable conditions, but the wrong patterns spelled trouble. The English noun "auspice," which originally referred to this practice of observing birds to discover omens, also comes from the Latin "auspex."
Question
The Festival of Birds
Answer
Cait and Mike's connection grew and deepened. They began to dream of weaving a future together and to see each other as co-creators. Ready to take the next brave step of committing to each other, Mike and Cait planned an adventure to Point Pelee, a national park in Ontario, Canada, located on a peninsula jutting into Lake Erie. When Mike and Cait arrived, they discovered that Point Peele was celebrating the Festival of Birds. Auspicious! As they hiked a forested trail, they were greeted by throngs of Red-Winged Blackbirds, robins, Sparrows, a wild turkey, a stunning Goldfinch singing the most beautiful song, Bluejays, a Woodpecker, and many, many birds they couldn't name. Then the trail opened up, and there was Lake Erie with its coarse sand, sunbleached driftwood, and the vast expanse of water stretching to the horizon. On the shore, a solitary Red-Winged Blackbird greeted Mike and Cait with its head cocked. It stood with the gentle waves lapping its feet. Then it began dipping its body into the water. Cait turned, and Mike was kneeling in the sand. Cait took a deep breath and said, "Wait, I need to take my shoes off." Following the lead of the Red-Winged Blackbird, she dipped her feet in the icy water and felt the rough sand on her feet. Then she knelt next to Mike in the sand, and they said "YES" to each other with their whole hearts. So, now you know, that's what's up with the Red-Winged Blackbirds, aka Marshy Reed Whistlers.