Yesterday I volunteered for a Raptor Survey at 5 Rivers in Delmar. I love raptors - they are so elegant. They are such amazing hunters. I feel an energy, a connection from them.
We began the survey at 4:10 pm - an hour before sunset. So there we were - three humans combing the cloudy sky and brown landscape for raptors. A harrier came into view. A male with white underside and black wing tips. He dipped and climbed and rolled in the ferocious wind. A game- like surfing the wind. He flew off.
The hour crawled by. The wind was cutting. It was cold. I asked myself, "Why did I do this?" Four deer ambled nearby. They browsed and walked about, seemingly untroubled by the wind and cold. I laughed. There they were - no fleece or wool or  Thinsulate or heavy boots. They enjoy a clever coat that traps air, warmed by their bodies and keeps them toasty.
Why do we go out to count raptors on days like this? Surveys report numbers and numbers help conservationists to allocate resources to help wildlife. It's important. But for me, it is also the sheer bliss of the winter landscape, the sun setting over bare trees, the knowing that I am a humble human.