When venturing into nature, one never knows what is in store. The possibility of encountering wildlife or some natural event promoting awe is a motivator. Awe engenders a range of feeling, and allows one to be fully present. Wild awe, jaw-dropping awe, whoa-exclaiming awe, transcendent awe. A particular place may bring the expectation for awe, while the feeling in well traveled places may be a surprise.
A recent experience at a much visited place, the landing in my community, was a good example. Walking out on the walkway to the fixed pier head, I viewed the next dock to the south, a hundred yards off, which had an interesting collection of birds roosting on the railing: a mature bald eagle, and two turkey vultures – a good margin between the eagle and the vultures. Further south floated fifty white pelicans in the Intracoastal Waterway.
Seeing bald eagles along the coast has become commonplace – the previous week I saw three in our community in as many days. This eagle on the railing flew off and landed on a shell rake on the other side of the Waterway. The vultures hopped down to the edge of the marsh, where I assumed their carrion lay. A pod from the pelican flock had flown into this area, and they swam toward where the vultures were feeding. The lead pelican swam right in and crashed the vulture party, plucking a sizable chunk of food, and reinforcing the white pelican’s reputation for thievery. A great blue heron stalked nearby on the marsh edge, and joined a second heron in flying by the scene. The pelican pod circled around that dock’s pier head, dunking their heads to feed.
I have no photographs of this event, but have included below a couple of older photos of two of the drama’s actors.
These encounters with awe have become etched in my memory, and this recent event will be included in my collection of awe moments.
Cool!! The most amazing thing I have seen is as follows………. One day, several years ago, we were out in the small john boat in 5 fathom creek when a LARGE (100+It took several minutes for the pod to pass us.) group of porpoises came literally barreling past us at high speed. They had an obvious ( to them) designation and were not to be distracted. They moved so fast we could not follow so have not idea where they were headed except it seemed urgent and further out toward the light house (?). Amazing!!
Whoa is my main response. Awe often has a component of mystery. I have never seen a group of dolphins even close to that number, and where they were going? Well, I guess only they know.
Thank you! You reminded me to pay attention, to be present even (especially) in familiar surroundings.
I have to remind myself to get out there and pay attention.
I received a birdie cam for Christmas this year and every morning the first thing I do when I wake up is to review the photos/videos of the visitors to my backyard. The cam informs me of each type of bird and last week during the 4 inch snow here it captured beautiful cardinals and the first finch of the season.
Birds get hungry in the snow. Good for you getting a bird cam, and entering the bird world. A companion piece is Amy Tan’s book The Backyard Bird Chronicles. If you don’t have it yet, get it. I can see a future where you will walking up again to Mt. LeConte, binoculars swinging and Merlin picking up new birds for you in that alpine forest.
Presumed pair of golden eagles observed preforming from atop Animas Peak, SW New Mexico.
Ooooo….Haven’t been to those parts, so vicariously enjoying your awe there
While traveling out west, we spent a day at Craters of the Moon National Park in Idaho. At sunset, there was a distant and rumbling sound that grew louder and louder until we could feel the earth trembling below us, and around us a sound like a freight train was bearing down and headed straight towards us from every direction. In an instant, bats emergerd from underground caves and caverns all around us until the dusk sky above us was completely eclipsed by a dark and undulating symphony of flying mammals!
Had not heard of that natural phenomenon, especially the sensory stimuli – earth trembling, freight train sound. And the sky was completely filled with the darkness of the bats. Incredible.
Being not from these shores I have had several awe moments in the Carolinas and beyond – seeing fireflies for the first time, experiencing the 17 year Cicada cycle, the Egret nests that cover an entire tree, Dolphins in the wild, humming birds up close, the grace of Herons, witnessing you calmly stroll between 2 large gators on Bulls Island and in Arizona seeing my first roadrunner that I always thought was a fictional animal – can’t wait for more awe moments Bob
Great Carolina collection of awe moments, Rod. More to be revealed for you
Thanks for sharing. It seems every day there are moments of awe in the beautiful Lowcountry. But I remember specifically many years ago we were bait shrimping just past Fort Sumter and we stopped shrimping to observe a pod of dolphins feeding by rushing toward the shore right next to us. The splashing of the dolphins, the fish jumping out of the water, it was amazing and a real treat to watch so up close.
We get accustomed to seeing wildlife along our coast, e.g. dolphins. Easy to overlook what incredible mammals they are.
Bob, you’ve issued a tough assignment. There are so many moments of awe to choose from…. wood storks circling in the blue, hummingbirds doing their courtship dance, amazing vistas seen while traveling, a moving piece of music. I could go on. But there is one recurring sight that has always filled me with wonder. Ever since I was a young man, Homer’s “rosy fingers of dawn” that appear in the eastern sky at daybreak have always delighted and given me hope for the promise of a new day.
Well, you have not just completed the assignment, but thrown in a literary reference (had to consult Siri for the reference). Fine addition to the moments of awe gallery.
I wasn’t going for extra credit with the Odyssey reference. The phrase is in common usage at our house.
Got a reference for you – “[He] doth protest too much.”
Wednesday we saw alligator courtship in the pond. At first a small gator cruised by the log where the turtles were sunning. Then we watched as a larger gator swam toward the smaller one. All of a sudden the larger one lurched toward the smaller one, making a loud splash. We wondered if he/she was hungry.
The small one slipped away and after a few minutes showed itself. The larger one continued its pursuit and at one point the two ended up together under a bush in front of us. All we could see was the larger one’s tail moving back and forth gently.
They moved away but soon the action began again. The larger one made a fast beeline from opposite bank following the small one around the bend and out of sight. From then on, all we heard was occasional splashing from the lovestruck gators. 🐊🐊
Front row seats for that event, on your property. It seems quite early for alligator mating, but it sure did feel like spring today. Saw a gator in the pond myself this morning. Whatever they were up to, a fine moment to observe.