The Wonder of Bird Song, GGF 5/27–5/30

In this overnight retreat, we will enter the world of birds and bird sounds, with morning and evening outings led by Zac Denning in the Green Gulch Farm grounds. Our goal will be to immerse ourselves for a short time in the lives of birds, learning about how and why they sing, and about the wonders and struggles of their daily existence. On the outings, we’ll be standing still for long periods to listen to particular birds, then walking a short distance, and listening again, etc. Zac will share bird anecdotes—humorous, scientific, or quirky—that will help us to appreciate them as individuals, and to understand the challenges they face in a human-modified world. Appreciating birds is more our aim than identification, but Zac will also try to familiarize you with a few songs you might be able to recognize later.

Above all, by listening to birds, we hope to leave our preoccupations behind for a few moments, and inhabit the immediacy and vibrance of lives that are radically different from our own. Bring lots of warm layers, including under-layers, hats, scarves, and gloves, for standing mostly still on a cold coastal spring evening and morning. Binoculars are not at all required (we’ll be using both our ears and eyes), but feel free to bring them if you have access to a pair. Walking difficulty will be easy to moderate, with distance of ½ to ¾ mile or less, often on fire roads or dirt/gravel paths, with a few short, moderate inclines.