Keep Singing

 In the fall of 2021, I sat and watched the bird feeders at a friend’s home to pass time. Many beautiful birds of all kinds came to visit. As I sat there with my camera, I started to hear a faint, jumbled melody. Sitting as quiet as possible, I intently listened for it again. Shaky and off-key, I heard this little song another time. To my surprise, it was a White-throated Sparrow just ahead of me! I was surprised to see that his plumage was fresh and his eyebrows were bright yellow! His off-tune melody is what intrigued me and as a result, I could only assume it was a young male. Over and over he kept whistling the well-known melody of the White-throated Sparrows. Practice makes perfect; and this little one was certainly practicing. I was extremely tickled to learn that day that these birds have to rehearse their song! I had always assumed that they instinctively knew how to sing that beautiful and cheerful song of theirs. So this year when autumn comes around, listen for the White-throated Sparrows rehearsing! By the next summer, they become master vocalists.

As I listened to this young male singing his jumbled song, I could not help but smile at his perseverance. This made me think of how when we are young, we too stumble out of inexperience in our lives. This can even be true in adulthood. Stumble as we may, the point is to remember to not give up and to keep singing! 

White-throated Sparrow (male) Photo Credit: Dietra Semple - Lens Poet Photography 

*If you wish to see this precious White-throated Sparrow practicing, visit my Instagram page @the_lens_poet > “Reels” Section