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New life list bird today.
Last night, I felt tired and weak, which I put down to a night of bad sleep. This morning, I woke up sore and mildly congested, which these days is always a cause for concern. The home test I took turned out negative, thankfully, and I was comforted to know it's just a cold.
All plans for the day got immediately downgraded from "some things" to "maybe two things." I knew they'd include a bike ride, because if I didn't leave my apartment at least once, I'd feel even worse. It's a slate-gray day, with mist and low drizzling and a little bit of rain, a lot of wet leaves clinging to trees and shaking in the winds. There weren't a lot of people out - something I always appreciate - and it's the season for Doc Martens and sweatshirts, one of my favorite biking get-ups.
It felt good to get out and move around, and listen to the sound of trains through the grates as they barreled along the tunnels beneath me, and get the little bits of color in the flowers still stubbornly blooming.
But I'm happiest of all that I saw a Northern Flicker.
I'd reached the northern terminus of my usual route and was biking back south, and ahead of me, a bird flew over and landed on the back of a bench. I had enough time to note its major characteristics - a good deal bigger than a robin, white belly and brown back, long thin beak, unmistakable red patch on the back of its head - before it flew off into the trees.
And I suddenly felt a whole lot better about waking up this morning.
All plans for the day got immediately downgraded from "some things" to "maybe two things." I knew they'd include a bike ride, because if I didn't leave my apartment at least once, I'd feel even worse. It's a slate-gray day, with mist and low drizzling and a little bit of rain, a lot of wet leaves clinging to trees and shaking in the winds. There weren't a lot of people out - something I always appreciate - and it's the season for Doc Martens and sweatshirts, one of my favorite biking get-ups.
It felt good to get out and move around, and listen to the sound of trains through the grates as they barreled along the tunnels beneath me, and get the little bits of color in the flowers still stubbornly blooming.
But I'm happiest of all that I saw a Northern Flicker.
I'd reached the northern terminus of my usual route and was biking back south, and ahead of me, a bird flew over and landed on the back of a bench. I had enough time to note its major characteristics - a good deal bigger than a robin, white belly and brown back, long thin beak, unmistakable red patch on the back of its head - before it flew off into the trees.
And I suddenly felt a whole lot better about waking up this morning.