April 14, 2026

Where: I…don’t know

When: 5:42 - 6:09 pm

Bird Species: house sparrow, eastern bluebird, white-throated sparrow, fish crow, northern cardinal

Things I Thought About:

• I have been seeing a footbridge and a paved path behind a temporarily empty building on the highly congested route to pub trivia, and I hung a U-turn to inspect it. This was a mistake, I can tell already. I know that the park on the other side of the road is a reliable place to see a bird on a Tuesday when I am pressed for time, and selecting a new venue is just putting more pressure on the outing.
• This trail runs behind a creek that is behind a bunch of strips malls and furniture stores. Through the trees, I can see people smoking behind a bowling alley. The dream.
• When I quit smoking, I promised myself I could start again if I want to after I outlive both my parents. Only twenty-one years to go.
• It is a bad experience when you take a chance on a quick bird walk and you don’t see any birds. I would submit that it is worse when you see a bunch of birds, but are so pressed for time you can’t explore or run them down. I just keep walking and hoping a bird will reveal itself to me, but none do.
• I can hear so many white-throated sparrows! One is so much louder and higher than the others, it’s like Kathy Najimy at the first rehearsal in Sister Act. Show yourself, coward.
• Great place to get murdered.

• Thankfully, I encounter an older couple with a yellow lab on the other side, and they tell me that this is in fact part of the Cross County Trail, the part that wanders through the City of Fairfax in fits and starts through the most heavily developed areas of Route 29. If I walk about eight miles further in this direction, I could be at my house. And I kind of want to right now.
• I would have been better served, bird-wise, if I had just sat on a bench somewhere. The one bird that posed with a clear sightline is one of the least attractive lady cardinals I've seen on the CCT.
• Now I have to play the pub quiz, blog, and file my taxes. Yet another weekday night when I will be awake past 10:00pm. Ridiculous.

BOTD: northern cardinal. A reasonable person could ask, "What the fuck is going on with her eye?" and I am here to tell you, I do not know.

This is the only photo I took tonight. A total bust. I blame myself. I didn't get a photo I liked, but more importantly, I didn't come down off a long workday. I'm still mentally at the office, and I carried my bad vibes after the frustrating walk to trivia, where we did not place again.

Bummer day all around. I'll make time for myself and the birds tomorrow.