April 16, 2007

Windy and in the 40s. Alternating clouds and clear. Whatever the weather forecast it was wrong. It usually is here. You cannot trust a forecast more than 4 hours in advance. There is a nor’easter off the Atlantic coast. It is the source of our wind, but we were not supposed to have as much sun as we had today.

The wind is howling up in the trees and the birds are hunkered down. Occasionally one will dart across the yard or to the feeder.

Being a good observer requires a certain amount of skepticism of your own observations. You can’t always believe what you think you see. A case in point just now. Something flew across the yard about 15 feet high. It was off white and the flight was slow. Like a butterfly, but very straight and direct. It flew cross wind. I have no idea what it was. A lucisitic bird, a piece of paper, a bird carrying nesting material. I have no idea. I went out to look for whatever it was. No sign. Those are the things that get your attention sometimes. You continue to look and eventually you may discover what is was you observed.