--->“You only need to sit still long enough
In some attractive spot in the woods,
Where all its inhabitants may exhibit
Themselves to you, by turns.”

Henry David Thoreau



Music: Deep Forest



We were all contentedly perched on the lakeshore
When we suddenly heard a very distinctive ‘Meow’
My very attentive dogs’ ears instinctively shot up
And now, they began excitedly looking all around

I now began wondering why a cat would be way out here
At this isolated wildwood lake, in the middle of nowhere
I quickly decided that we had to find this homeless feline
When suddenly, another extremely loud ‘Meow’ in the air

My dogs scattered in all directions, in search of this feline
And soon, I began peering up into the many lakeshore trees
Yet another ‘Meow’ echoed loudly on the wildwood breeze
And eventually, I spotted him peering down, at them and me

This very playful, meowing, creature was not a feline, after all
He was a most interesting, very cat-like sounding, Gray Catbird
My dogs also eventually located him, perched way up in that tree
And they looked up at him quite puzzled, thinking this quite absurd

Yet another wondrous marvel of nature to behold
This clever little bird had tricked all of us real good
My canines stood there perplexed, peering up at him
And he seemed to smile, as he flew off across the wood

Gray Catbirds are relatives of Mockingbirds and Thrashers
They share this truly marvelous bird group’s vocal abilities
Copying sounds of other species, making up their own songs
Another wildwood wonder, a wondrous part of nature’s symphony


“In all things of nature,
There is something of the marvelous.”

Aristotle


©Wildwood Wandering Summer 2014, Mr. Ed