Spotting

How do we authentically, fully

bear witness to this wild world

and give it the reverence it fully deserves

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Do you see those ones up there

Where

There. They nest in those palm trees

They’re called Asian Palm Swifts.

I pause to take in, and then admire the random yet darting precision of the family of winged critters as they skitter here and there

no doubt in search of a meal

Isn’t that what we’re all in search of

I’ve seen them before, 

but until this moment, have rarely ever seen them

This brief walk to the parking lot with a mate,

who just happens to be an amazingly knowledgeable birder, and consummate nature photographer, whose photos invite, and cajole

deeper looking.

His enthusiasm for both of his arts is infectious, genuine, and real. 

Our walk lasts no more than three minutes, and during that time, he points out four different species

The whistle we just heard was the Plaintive Cuckoo 

Really?

Yeah, there’s one. You can tell by the way it flies.

I ask about his time, energy, and work as a photographer and what it has done for him

I notice things. More often

For instance, right there is an Asian Grass Lizard

What?

I ask, unaware 

Right there 

I follow his gaze and, amongst the blades, finally spot its long tail, distinctive disjointed hips, and ready stance. No doubt, on the lookout for its next meal.

Isn’t that what we’re all in search of 

We page through a couple of his posts, and I stop, blown away by the image of what I think is a bat

That’s a flying fox

Wait, it’s not a bat?

No, it’s a bat. That’s just its name.

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And I am hurtled

back to dusk, in Accra

The best, best moment in the day

when time stands still

and I cannot help but stop

and see

and hear

Call to prayer ringing forth from the local mosque

Cool breeze, providing respite from the day’s heat, as the sun has crept below

And I tell him

of the thousands and thousands

and thousands

of bats, that rise into the sky and ease overhead

silently

on the lookout for their evening meal

Isn’t that what we’re all in search of?

They have finished with prayer and are breaking fast,

just like their human friends.

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And, as I share about bats

I find the parallels

in the keen, appreciative eyes and ears of a birding photographer

and the work that we do here, this writing space.

Not just noticing, but listening, and seeing.

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It is said that what we attend to, grows

Sometimes, what grows is what we attend to.

And so, in appreciation for the gift he has given me today

I make a mental note and a commitment

to slow down

notice

listen

and see.

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