I have kept a backyard bird log for over a decade. I note species, habits and any special occurrence—like hawk kills, mating pairs, the first bird of spring, sightings of rare birds like orioles. In the last few years I have seen less birds, different species and changes in feeding habits.
I was surprised to read an article on declining bird populations in the September 19, 2019 edition of the Wall Street Journal. “Bird Populations Plummet in North America” the headline reads. The Journal isn’t given to hysterical climate change stories, but the writer reported an alarming story.
Anecdotes from bird watchers and guesses among scientists led researchers to guess bird populations had declined; but the loss was much greater than originally speculated. Ornithologists from Cornell University reported that North America’s overall bird population had dropped 29% since 1970, with about three billion fewer birds now than nearly 50 years ago. Their study was published in the September edition of Science magazine.
Researchers attribute the decline in grassland birds to the broader impact of climate change, deforestation and shifts in agricultural practices. Habitat loss and the use of pesticides also had an impact on their decline. Grassland birds, which include species like finches and sparrows, saw its overall population fall 53%. The decline in this group in particular surprised researchers, since these birds are known for their adaptability to human landscapes.
I keep my lawn chemical-free to protect bees, water, and “helpful” insects like spiders, ladybugs and praying mantis from indiscriminate spraying. However, birds live in a wider area than my yard and many have not returned. Personally, I have no doubt that the decline in these birds is due to the impact of all the chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides homeowners and farmers pour on their land every year.
Have you noticed any changes in bird population or behavior in your yard, local park or farm?
Check out Chipperbirds guide to the world’s most beautiful birds.
For me, God and Nature are intricately bound. I feel God in a storm. I am in awe of God in a mountain. But I love God in the serenity of a garden. My restless soul is at peace in its borders.
I had originally planned to construct a “Biblical herb garden” or a monastery herb garden, but I dispensed with the raised bed and the limited selection of herbs. I wanted to include tomatoes and peppers, so good to eat in summer. The borders are rocks and old bricks or pieces of brick I picked up during walks along Peconic Bay. I threw in some oyster shells and interesting pieces of driftwood. 
My garden is a balance of religion and whimsy– full of herbs, gnomes, saints, cement ducks, vegetables and sayings by spiritual people. The quotes serve to remind me of Catholicism’s spiritual connection to Nature, and the presence of God in everything around us. My favorites are: “We always plant better than we know.” – Sr. Julia McGroaty, a founder of Trinity College, Washington, DC (my alma mater). “God is a God of Surprises.” – Pope Francis. “Remember who you are and whose you are.” – Sr. Thea Bowman, a religious woman I admire for her courage, patience, and faith. I hope she is named a saint.
St. Gobnait is a patron saint of bees and beekeepers. Her fondness for bees suggests a calm and gentle nature. Tradition associates her with St. Abban and suggests she lived during the 6th century.
Gobnait was born in County Clare, but fled to Inis Oirr (Inisheer) the smallest of the Aran Islands to escape a family feud. There an angel appeared to her and told her to continue her journey until she should come to a place where nine deer were grazing. The angel told her this would be the “place of her resurrection.”
She traveled south in search of this place and her many stops are marked by churches and holy wells dedicated to her. At various stages of her journey Gobnait met with deer of varying numbers but it was only when she reached Ballyvourney in County Cork that she found the nine deer. They were grazing together on a rise overlooking the River Sullane and looking towards the Derrynasaggart Hills. This is where she settled, died and was buried “to await her resurrection.” The “resurrection place” is where the soul leaves the body. Celtic lore believed the soul left the body as a bee or butterfly.
St. Abban is said to have worked with her on the foundation of the convent and placed St. Gobnait over it as abbess. The nuns must have kept bees, since there are many stories about bees associated with the saint. In one story she cured one of her sick nuns using honey. Many accounts exist of how St. Gobnait prevented raiders or robbers from stealing cattle. Gobnait commanded the bees from the convent hives to drive them away. When a plague threatened the people, Gobnait walked to the village border and drew a line in the earth with her walking stick. The pestilence halted before reaching Ballyvourney.
The local chieftains, the O’Herlihys sought her help in a border war. One of her hives turned into a bronze helmet and the bees turned into soldiers. The O’Herlihys handed down the bronze helmet from one generation to another until it was lost in the 1700s. Another version has the beehive turning into a bell which then became Gobnait’s Bell.
For more on St. Gobnait: Pilgrimage in Medieval Ireland and Pixie’s Pocket.
“After a few hours of sweating with dirt all over me and insects buzzing around the upper half of my body, I may begin to get a sense of being in tune with nature.”
“It’s at these moments where I take note of a worm that is maneuvering its way out of the dirt or a butterfly that lands silently on a bush next to me.”
“With subtlety and a total lack of self consciousness, I come out of myself, look around, marvel at the majesty of what I am experiencing and begin to take note that I have entered some type of altered state of consciousness.”
Read the whole article here.
Fran Sorin is recognized as one of America’s leading gardening experts. 
