On a recent Memorial Day weekend excursion, my husband and I found ourselves in Sandy Hook, New Jersey, with a block of time to do something we hardly ever find the time to do: go birding someplace other than our backyard. The beach was awakening, and with binoculars in hand, we ventured into the Gateway National Recreation Area. We had the afternoon to explore.
There are some episodes I plan carefully.
And then there are some that quietly assemble themselves around you while you’re busy looking for something else entirely.
This week’s episode began with a common yellowthroat we could hear everywhere but could barely photograph. It unfolded across damp sand, low beach brush, cargo ships disappearing into the horizon, and tiny movements almost invisible against the shoreline.
It became a story about the small things we nearly walk past. And somewhere in the middle of it all, a tiny bird carrying more weight than its size should allow stepped briefly into view.
If you listen, stay through the ending. The final scene back at our home somehow tied the entire story together in a way I never could have planned. In Sunday’s essay I will continue the story. There will be more of what I learned while walking the beach in jeans and boots on the first “unofficial” day of summer.
This may be my favorite episode I’ve made yet.
I also experimented more with the sound design and music in this one, and I think it helped capture the feeling of the day exactly as it unfolded: gray skies, drizzle, ocean air, and those strange moments where nature suddenly rearranges your entire afternoon. And then the sun comes out after 3 days of being gone.
Thank you for being here…I can't wait to hear what you think of this one.
If you want to learn more about protecting piping plovers and other nesting shorebirds in New Jersey, visit the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey at http://conservewildlifenj.org. Additionally, please visit NJ Fish &Wildlife at https://dep.nj.gov/njfw/conservation/beach-nesting-birds/ for more information.
In this episode I mention Episode 12. You can find it here.
Common Yellowthroat Sound Recording provided by:
Citation
William Whitehead, XC720362. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/720362.
License
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0
