Redstart on Moravia Street
The bird song in the tree above me on Moravia Street was a jumble of high-pitched notes. “American Redstart,” I thought and looked up. Identifying bird song has always been a challenge and the redstart has no helpful mnemonic phrase like the robin’s “cheerio.” To my delight my guess was right. Dashes of orange marked the sides and wings of the coal-black redstart. The tiny bird bounced along a tree branch festooned with bright green leaves unfurling with spring’s arrival. Every now and then, the redstart sallied forth with exuberant aerial acrobatics to grab a startled insect.
What joy to see this feathered friend, a bird that had flown all the way from Central America to our little village. A moment of grace on Ephraim’s “Upper Road” … serendipity! Seeing the bird elicited happy memories of long-ago May days warbler watching with dear ones and was also a reminder to experience new adventures in the present moment. Spring migration in Door County is truly an amazing gift.
