Birds do it.
Birds fall in love, so goes the popular song by Cole Porter and so says the poem by Geoffrey Chaucer that proceeded “Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall in Love)” by about 550 years.
Chaucer wrote “Parlement of Foules” — “Parliament of Fowls” — in 1382 to honor the anniversary of King Richard II of England and Anne of Bohemia.
An excerpt from the poem of 699 lines:
For this was on Saint Valentine’s Day
When every bird comes there to choose his match
(Of every kind that men may think of!),
And that so huge a noise they began to make
That earth and air and tree and every lake
Was so full, that not easily was there space
For me to stand — so full was all the place.
The poem is the first record associating Valentine’s Day with romantic love and it takes inspiration from amorous birds.
There’s an old belief — based on the ancient practice of ornithomancy — that the first bird a single person sees or hears on Valentine’s Day represents a soul mate, symbolizes a life partner.
The practice also has led to the beliefs that goldfinches represent wealth, blackbirds symbolize kindness and nuthatches epitomize knowledge.
So pay attention to the birds you see Feb. 14.
That day, you might even consider joining the 24th annual Great Backyard Bird Count.
“Birds are everywhere and can be counted in backyards, neighborhoods, suburban parks, wild areas and cities,” says David Bonter, co-director of the Center for Engagement in Science and Nature at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, New York. “Scientists need the eyes of the world to collect information about where the birds are.”
The count, coordinated by the Cornell Lab, National Audubon Society and Birds Canada, occurs Feb. 12-15, with people around the world counting the birds they see for at least 15 minutes on one or more days and entering their checklists using either the Merlin Bird ID app or the eBird online platform.
The data gathered in the GBBC and other survey projects can reveal changes in the numbers and distribution of wild birds over time.
In last year’s count, birdwatchers set records:
- 268,674 estimated participants in 194 countries;
- 27,270,156 birds counted;
- 6,942 species identified;
“Why not try something new? If you’re an experienced birder, set yourself a challenge to see how many new birders you can get interested in counting on their own patch,” says Steven Price of Birds Canada. “If you are just beginning to learn about the birds in your yard, see if you can identify three new birds — or five new birds or 10 new birds.”
Who knows? Maybe you’ll see a lovebird — or a goldfinch, depending on your heart’s desire.
Staying safe
Great Backyard Bird Count organizers ask that participants watch birds safely in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. This means following public health and safety protocols, avoiding large gatherings, wearing face masks and staying at least 6 feet from people outside your household.
To learn more about how to take part in the count, go online to birdcount.org.