“Wake from thy nest, robin red-breast! Sing, birds, in every furrow!
And from each bill let music shrill Give my fair Love good-morrow!
Blackbird and thrush in every bush, Stare, linnet, and cock-sparrow;
You pretty elves, among yourselves, Sing my fair love good-morrow
To give my love good-morrow Sing birds in every furrow”
– Thomas Heywood, excerpt from “Love’s Good-Morrow”
Birds are a creature of unending allure. Saya Laura Erickson from Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, “Birds have captured the human heart since the earliest times, pillowing our heads with their feathers, carrying messages, and filling our senses with vivid color and an infinite variety of sounds. Our yearning for the freedom of flight was inspired by birds.”Leonardo Da Vinci, artist and inventor, was one of the first to ponder the mysteries of birds and flight. The “ornithopter” was his untested futuristic flying machine. As far back as the arts go, birds have been a worthy topic in our fables, our art, our music and our homes. They adorn our walls, our tables and housewares, tapestries and other forms of decorative art. Join Great South Bay Audubon Society and our many events, from nature walks to art classes, lectures and social events and explore the secret lives of birds. We never seem to tire of these whimsical creatures, who inspire our imaginations to simply soar. “O bird, your perfect virtues bring. Your song, your forms, your rhythmic flight. Your manners for your heart’s delight.” Ralph Waldo-Emerson “May-Day”