Rusty with Unusual Eyes

When Nature Calls Earl Plato

Love nature? Why not record your observations? My mentor in nature writing was the late Ed Teale. From his Trail Wood Nature Sanctuary he wrote the following on a cold February day. “ The new birds are four in number. The size of robins, their plumage is black, washed with reddish brown over the foreparts of their bodies. They look about them with eyes so pale yellow they appear almost white. When they call their voices are unmusical like the creaking of a rusty hinge. On two counts- plumage hue and voice quality- this quartet of male birds that arrived in our yard soon after daybreak yesterday deserves the name bestowed upon them: Rusty blackbirds.
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Writer’s note: On an early spring day in 2002 I saw on the Lower Lane leading into Marcy Woods five rusty blackbirds. With my bird glasses I remember seeing their pale irises. Even without binoculars they attracted my attention. Teale made this comment that same day in February. “ We watch them as they turn from side to side on feeding on scattered seeds. The sun catches their pale eyes and again we notice how unpleasant is the impression such eyes make upon us, We feel repelled by their coldness. We miss the warmth and responsiveness we find in more deeply coloured irises of the other birds.” Observe well, eh.