‘As I Stood There, a Bird Watcher in Full Regalia Paused Next to Me’

Up There

Dear Diary:

While walking along a trail in Inwood Hill Park, I stopped to admire a rock formation helpfully labeled with a sign near the path that said: “Rock Formation.”

As I stood there, a bird watcher in full regalia paused next to me. Together, we stared at the rocks in silence.

“Would you like to borrow my binoculars?” the birder asked me.

“Sure,” I said. “What are we looking at?”

She pointed and traced her finger 40 feet up an enormous oak tree, stopping at a knot in the trunk before the branches split.

I put the binoculars to my eyes and looked up to where she was pointing. After a moment, I saw a small brown speck camouflaged in the bark staring back at me: a screech owl.

I brought the binoculars down and looked in the same spot. I never would have seen it, let alone noticed it, if she hadn’t stopped.