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Healthy
Living -- pages 20 - 22
To your Health !
William R . Forse , Optometrist - family eye care
Complete & Comprehensive Eye Exams • Pediatric Vision Analysis Glaucoma , Cataract , and Retinal Screening • Contact Lenses Wide Selection of Fashion Eyewear • Consultant for Lasik Surgery
Boost Your Well-Being - Celebrate the Dawn Chorus by Linda Stager
I ’ m a morning person . There is nothing quite like the first step out the back door and into the outdoors . The smell of freshness is pungent . The birds sing loudly . The day is new . And fresh .
I love leaving the house early and today was the same as usual . As I stepped outside just at dawn , one lone bird was caroling its love song to greet the day . “ Cheer up , cheer up ,” the robin calls . Soon the rest of the dawn chorus will build in crescendo . Competing calls to announce the day bounce back and forth . The sparrows will also join in the fray . May is a beautifully loud and joyous time for the birds … and for me .
Why do birds sing ? I know that science tells us that birds sing to warn other birds away from their territory : that both sexes of birds sing . The common thought is that birds sing to show their vitality and their energy . The dawn chorus of birdsong is always the most energetic and loudest ; a time that generally is silent , except for the singing of the neighborhood birds .
But a recent study by a Cal Poly research team says there is more to birdsong that strikes deep in our psyche . The study looked specifically at the sounds of birds singing and its effect on people . Guess what they found ? They concluded that avian sounds during hikes boosted people ’ s sense of wellbeing . I already know that . And furthermore , I like to think that birds sing to celebrate their joy of being alive , their joy that morning has come . The day is soon to be here - and what better way to greet it than to sing !
I try to greet the day with similar sentiment . I know that the chorus of birds buzzing in melody is all a part of my morning celebration . Get up , greet the sun . Smile . Think good thoughts . And perhaps even sing my own song .
It ’ s May and we are in the midst of new visitors who will join the robins in chorus . This month is the height of spring migration for the many varieties of warblers that pass through our area every year . They sing as beautifully as the robins and their songs are among the most melodic of all of the birds . These tiny colorful songsters are a delight to see and to hear . Bright yellow birds , yellow and black birds , orange and black birds : these little dynamos of energy pack a sight to see and hear .
This month , I will celebrate the robins , the sparrows , the finches , the wrens , and all of the warblers who sing so apparently joyfully every single morning . When I listen for them , my heart always skips a beat when I hear their characteristic melody : a songbird which doesn ’ t seem to care a bit whether their tune is pretty or not . They sing anyway .
I ’ d like to think they have lessons for us all . Lessons of celebrating vitality and awe for the promise that dawn brings . The promise of the dawn chorus . And the promise of the day ahead .
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