Have you ever heard of S.A.D.? Seasonal Affective Disorder is a depression (Mayo Clinic Link) most common as the amount of daylight shortens as winter approaches. In much of America this summer, the disorder should be renamed to Smoke Affective Disorder. If you’ve looked up in the sky almost anywhere in the United States or Canada, blue skies are extremely rare as smoke fills the skies from forest fires.
When I got up this morning it was dark at sunrise. An hour later it was still dark. I hate all this wildfire smoke. The forest fire season started early this year due to the drought, and will likely last till the fall rains come in September. Ugh. Do you have S.A.D.? I certainly do.
Regardless, I did go birding around 10 am this morning … very late for me. Stopping at Forest Hill Cemetery in Duluth, I was pleased to find three green herons hunting the pond with islands. I suspect there is a nest tucked into the willow trees on the island. Even with S.A.D., I had fun!
Some notes:
- I’ll be offline for about one week. Was thrilled to learn some heart surgery was moved up 1.5 months to Thursday. I am doing fine, but still have issues related to my new heart valve. Not in any danger.
- Yogi continues to attack my bird feeders. I am stubborn in keeping them up all summer long. The latest attacked was at 3:30 am two night ago. Heard and then saw Yogi. He is BIG!
- The Great Horned Owl chicks start begging every night about 9:15 pm. Occasionally they visit my yard. Have not been able to find their daytime perching spot. If you live in Duluth Lakeside and hear night time screeching look up to the tops of the trees. You may see an owl silhouetted against the sky.
- The second Red-Headed Woodpecker nest ever found in Duluth (any year) was successful!
- There are some Chukars running around Duluth Lakeside. As these birds would be crazy out of range, must be escapees from a game farm, . Tend to be found around 46th Avenue East.
i’ve been feeling the effects of all this gloom in the air and around us. your photos of the birds make the sun shine. we’re sending all good thoughts for your surgery and recovery. thanks for all your work!
Richard, have to share that your blog has encouraged our 7 year old NYC grandson to enjoy birding! We sent him binoculars for his birthday. He has used them in the Ramble in Central Park and brought them to MN for a recent visit. We took him to Woodlake Nature Center in Richfield where he found a green heron fishing, an egret and blue heron. Thanks for helping this ‘city kid’ learn to see the natural world. Your photos and writing are so refreshing! Heal well, Katie
How cool is that … a young birder in NYC?! I hear both Central Park and the Brooklyn parks next to the beaches are very good during migration … just a subway ride away!
I also have SAD and it is especially hard to get motivated to get up at 4:45 am to go rowing at park point when the smoke obscures our normally beautiful sunrises. Hope all goes well with your surgery Richard.
Carol: I know! When the sun comes up it is still dark. As a fyi, I am also a former Dartmouth oarsman, and finished 2nd at the NCAA Championships back in the prehistoric days! A few years back I donated my single scull to the Duluth Rowing Club (named after my Mom, the Janet Hoeg). My birding and photography interests with their early excursions made rowing less desirable. Instead a bike ride or cross-country ski took over as my main workouts. The master’s men tried to lure me to Park Point, but I just had moved on to other interests.
Are You Ready? Ready All … Row! or Este-Vous Prets? Partez!
My goodness Richard what have you not excelled at? I just love your posts and look forward to reading them. I hope to improve my birding skills but there are so many competing interests as you so rightly point out! Hope your surgery is smooth and you have a rapid recovery!
I also have SAD and it has been more obvious during these hazy sky days. We go to Florida in the winter in large part because of SAD. Took years for me to understand why I was so down during the Christmas holidays. No sunlight. I hope your heart issues are all OK.
Thanks Bonnie. I totally get it with “SAD”.