Male Cardinal, Atlanta Botanical Gardens (photo: Karla Schultz)

Compass

Flickering flame, face
Black as soot, the cardinal
Flies north, points to spring.

Leslie Schultz

At the vernal equinox, here in Minnesota, we start looking for migratory birds heading north, one of the clear signs of spring.

Male Cardinal, Calaway Gardens, GA (photo: Karla Schultz)

Nuthatch near Macon, GA (photo: Karla Schultz)

At this time of year in Minnesota, the landscape holds a lot of white, black, and grey on both sides of the horizon line. One has to look harder to see the subtle colors that are, in fact, there. This is the time of year when I long for a few days of Caribbean blue waters, the intense terracotta of the southwestern mesas, the legendary emerald greens of Ireland. I understand the impulse of the snowbird.

Warbler near Savannah, GA (photo: Karla Schultz)

Travel is not on the table just now, but, thanks to my sister, Karla, here are some images of bright-winged travelers. All images were taken in the southeastern United States (Georgia and Florida). Just the roll call of their names gives me the lift of color I crave: roseate spoonbill, green heron, Great Blue heron, red-bellied woodpecker, greater yellow-legs…! All of these species, and more (including those with beautiful white, black, brown, and grey plumage) are here, including the art history star, the goldfinch. (Mystified? Scroll to the bottom to uncover the reference!)

Roseate Spoonbill in Florida (photo: Karla Schultz)

Egret in Florida (photo: Karla Schultz)

Egret Chicks in Florida (photo: Karla Schultz)

Greater Yellowlegs in Florida (photo: Karla Schultz)

Coot near Savannah, GA (photo: Karla Schultz)

Black Vulture in Florida (photo: Karla Schultz)

Eastern Bluebird in Atlanta, GA (photo: Karla Schultz)

Wren near Macon, GA (photo: Karla Schultz)

How do you feel about the colors in nature at this time of year? If you need a little extra “color therapy”, how do you find it? 

Goldfinch near Macon, GA (photo: Karla Schultz)

On a literary note, if you are looking for a long, satisfying novel to dive into, consider the new title by Donna Tartt, The Goldfinch. Tim gave it to me this year at Christmas. I found it to be a mesmerizing, art-filled, lyrical page turner and so did he.

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Or dip into the modern poems of Ron Padgett…

…or seek out this gorgeous anthology that pairs watercolor illustrations of particular birds with poems–classic, modern, or contemporary–from dozens of authors, each chosen with care by Poet Laureate Billy Collins.

Thank you for reading this! If you think of someone else who might enjoy it, please forward it to them. And, if you are not already a subscriber, I invite you to subscribe to the Wednesday posts I am sending out each week–it’s easy, it’s free, and I won’t share your address with anyone!