Mark and I set out to circle Jessup Neck in Sag Harbor. We parked at Morton Wildlife Refuge. This refuge is famous for the “bird in hand” experience. Mark brought a bag of bird seed. We paused on the trail while Mark held out his hand with a palm of bird seed. Moments later, we heard chickadee calls from nearby shrubs. Instantly, one landed, grabbed a sunflower seed and was off. We saw a sign that requested “Dropping seed invites unwanted animals (rats). Please put unused seed in a bird feeder near the entrance.” This illustrates how humans are part of the food chains and webs of nature.
A chain from forest, to chickadee, to sunflower seed, to us, to rats, is but one of hundreds of interconnected links of which we are a small part… On our return, while Mark took photos, I sat on a bench and tried attracting some birds. Chickadee and titmouse responded. I did not look but felt their tiny talons grasp the edge of my palm. I heard their wing flaps up close. We travel to see wildlife, and they come to us, ambassadors for birds and all animals.