Almost Like Baby Chicks

So it is Easter weekend and I'm The Cottage for the weekend. (Teri, or was it Kristen? Someone was asking when I would stop calling it The Cottage and start just referring to it as my parents' house. I don't think ever.) Anyway, my grandparents are visiting along with their friend from England and later on today my aunt and uncle and little cousin will be here for a big turkey dinner.

This morning we went to the Bird Studies Canada - Long Point Bird Observatory. (I can feel your judgement already.) My grandparents are hardcore birders, and they wanted to show their friend. My mom and I went along because the place is pretty awesome. Anyone who I have brought there would agree that it is way cooler than they thought it would be. They catch birds in these huge nets strung up all around the forest, then go get them and put them in bags, then bring them back to the lab area to band, identify, and document before letting them go again.

Today the nets were filled with birds. I was walking past one that had three birds caught in it and was looking at them. My grandfather came up beside me and I turned to him and said, "This one is pretty. The one in the middle is not so pretty, I don't like that one very much. But I like this one, it's cute."

Pa replied with, "Wow, you're a great birder Chris." I was never very strong with the remembering of names or the identification part. I also don't like to be particularly near the wild birds. I like to watch other people handling them from a safe distance. Wild things, and dead things, just make me feel very very uncomfortable, and a little scared.

While we were there, wandering through the paths in the wooded area, someone saw a bunny. I missed the bunny but I figure that, and the fact that little birds are kind of like baby chicks, makes The Long Point Bird Observatory an appropriate place to visit for Easter.