Since I started using the Merlin Bird ID app, my awareness of the birds in my environment has increased at least 10-fold. For example, I have lived in western Washington for several decades, and I never noticed that robins migrate. But this winter, I noticed their absence. In early February when it became clear that no, I had not seen a robin for some time, I typed “do robins migrate” into a search engine and learned that yes, they do. Ironically, two days later I first heard and then saw robins—and because I had read up on it, I knew they were male robins.
For me, this is just one more example of how much I’ve been missing in the world around me…and one more reason I’m grateful for the app!
This small farm journey continues to surprise me in countless ways, and learning more about the natural world I’ve taken for granted for a lifetime is one of them.
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