As we get ready to move to California, I’ve been thinking about what I’ll miss. Of course I’ll miss my dad and sister, although they live just far enough away from here that I only see them about once every two months. Of course I’ll miss eastern Massachusetts culture and accents (that’s plural on purpose), since I’m used to cold undemonstrative people who speak God’s own English.
While I was taking a long walk today, I realized that I will also miss eastern Massachusetts birds. I’m used to the eastern Massachusetts ecosystems. I’m used to watching Common Grackles come back each year (no grackles in California). I’m used to hearing the song of Northern Cardinals (no cardinals in California, except a few feral escapees). It’s a whole different ecosystem out there, with completely different birds. It will be fun learning a whole new ecosystem, but I’ll still miss this ecosystem.
Still, we’ll welcome you here with the double crested cormorant parade and bad pizza! Got a little lost driving in your new “area” earlier today – and you will have lots of wetlands to see lots of interesting, creepy and pretty things totally different than the east bay, even. And a totally different microclimate, or two, too. I’ll share my wicked pissa’ accent to remind you of home when you need it!
I’m having the reverse experience, moving from California (SoCal) to the East Coast. I moving back (except more to the South) and will be once again close to family. Over the past 18 years, I’ve become more at home here than I expected. It will be quite the transition – ecosystems and cultures. On my walk today, I thought about how I’ll miss the particular trees on my regular route.
Re: your comment that the few cardinals in California are feral escapees. Is it known for sure they’re not intrepid wanderers? I ask only because it’s of course illegal to cage or trade in domestic birds.
ms. m @ 1 — I’ll take you up on that accent.
Pamela @ 2 — Happy moving!
Diggit @ 3 — As of 1994, the California Bird Records Committee was classing Northern Cardinals as “non-established releases and escapees.” My reference is California Birds: Their Status and Distribution, Arnold Small, 1994. In the species account, Small states that “the subspecies superba of the North American southwest inhabits California as an extremely rare resident along the Colorado R. the entire California population may represented by a few pairs, and even those are declining.” Aside from that, they’re escaped cage birds — illegal, no doubt, but there you have it.
Now I will have one more reason to visit there. BTW There is good bird watching in the Monterey bay area.