I love to write about nature. It feeds my soul and encourages me to observe and appreciate the world around me. The following articles are a sample of my repertoire. I hope that you enjoy them. I have many more articles on a variety of topics accompanied by photographs. They can be read and enjoyed for the pure enjoyment of learning and appreciating nature, or as educational tools for workshops or the classroom. For further information please contact me a:t articles@marlenewalker.com

Article 1: Nine Bluebirds on a Wire
Article 2: My Favourite Moments

Nine Bluebirds on a Wire
Marlene Walker
Copyright, 2000

Most people have a distinct memory of when their passion was fired. Mine occurred when I was three years old. I often wonder if it was my childish imagination that created the image, or if it really happened. It really doesn’t matter, because my love of nature evolved from this turning point.

I was playing with a friend in a fenced yard with a parental eye watching. There was a cool breeze in the air. Buds were barely visible on the shrubbery surrounding the perimeter of my friend’s house. It was early spring and the snow had left the underlying grass spongy. Something caught my eye and I looked up. High above me on an exposed telephone wire, perched nine birds. Without a doubt, I know that there were nine. If my memory envisioned 51, I would question it, but my three-year-old mind would have no trouble with the arithmetic. They sat still, all facing slightly northward on the same angle. I did not see them alight; they were just there.

The most wonderful thing and saddest thing too, is that they were bluebirds. Not a three year old, nor a 50 year old, would now see bluebirds in the city. In the early 1950’s the Eastern Bluebird was still a common bird in urban centers. Their decline was precipitated by the rise in the starling population, wire fences and urbanization, combined with severe winters. I was fortunate to have seen the 1955 spring migration. Subsequent migrations produced fewer and fewer of these exquisite birds.

My memory is of nine very ‘blue’ birds, (the females aren’t as blue) but whether in fact those birds were all males, I’ll never know. Where reality and imagination begin and end is a matter of perception and when memory is introduced the whole image becomes a personal possession, unique and self-perpetuating.

I didn’t see another bluebird for thirty years, however my initial introduction created a strong desire and attraction to the natural cycle of the seasons and instilled in me a fascination for birdwatching. My need to write is often triggered by the arrival of the migratory birds.

Nine bluebirds on a wire changed my life.

My Favourite Moments
Marlene Walker
Copyright, 2003

There are extraordinary moments we experience that ‘light up our lives’. In fact, they can literally take your breath away’. I hadn’t given the expression much thought until I personally experienced it. As a photographer and nature enthusiast, I love to capture the perfect image. This time, I didn’t have my camera, but the image is and will always be vivid in my mind.

I was mountain biking with a friend along the Athabaska River in Jasper, Alberta, on a magnificent August morning last summer. The sky was clear, the air crisp with the majestic Rockies dominating the scenery. Transparent glacial-fed lakes of aqua, turquoise and emerald decorated the low-lying regions like gems. It had been many years since I enjoyed our Canadian Rockies in their summer splendour. We cycled along a woodland trail that eventually merged with another trail running parallel to the river. The pulsating current, strong with glacial runoff, flowed in the same direction we were headed. I was in front, meandering around roots and rocks, enjoying the sunlit sparkles that highlighted the crests of the turbulent water. All of a sudden out of the corner of my eye, I noticed two large indefinable objects being thrust downstream at a furious rate. I stopped abruptly and called out to my friend to do the same; I pointed in the direction of the river.

We both watched, fascinated, by the drama that played out in front of us. The two large objects were followed close behind by six more of various sizes. Within seconds I knew that I was seeing an image that I might never see again. Eight elk emerged dripping, shaking and spraying river water from their massive bodies. As if in slow motion, not wanting this image to stop, I watched mesmerized while the water droplets hung suspended, liquid curtains falling from their majestic bodies. I don’t know how long I held my breath, but it seemed an eternity. It was as if breathing would vaporize the image. Was it reality or fantasy?
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Every summer I have wonderful ‘moments’ like this. Two ‘moments’ stand out in my mind. A few weeks ago while on the dock, talking to a friend on the phone, I noticed activity on the rocky shoreline about 200 feet away. I ran up the steps to the cottage to get my binoculars, ran back down and focused on the rock. There sat a female merganser and her five tiny ducklings. One precocious duckling was already trying to use its wings, without much luck. It was so very beautiful, the scene so perfect - I needed to get the shot. My friends are used to my fascination with nature as I enthusiastically share my sightings. This time was no exception, ‘Carol, I have to go, I need to get my camera’. I got off the phone, ran up the stairs again and hurriedly got my camera, changing lenses on the run. I was huffing and puffing from ascending and descending, no matter that I think I’m in shape from cycling.

I ran back down and along a path in the woods that led close to where the ducks rested. As I approached, I slowed down, treading very carefully so that I didn’t disturb the family. Yes, it was a family, minus the adult male. In my Victoria Day column ‘The Mystery of the Male Merganser’, I noted that the male and female breed and then the male departs. She is a single mom. Gradually I moved closer and closer watching this breathtaking scenario. A large rock served as my tripod and ‘blind’. I watched enthralled until the hen collected her brood and waded into the water. I visually followed the entourage along the shoreline until they maneuvered around the point and were lost to view.

The other special moment happened yesterday. Thursday, being my designated errand day, I plan my route with grocery shopping last so that food isn’t sitting in a hot car. There is an area along the north side of Highway 60 that I wanted to explore photographically, so I took my cameras with me. It would be my last stop on the way back to the cottage. Being late afternoon, the lighting was perfect. I found a lovely scene of a marshy meadow. Juxtaposed against the bare trunks of dead trees, standing erect like soldier figurines, luscious green vegetation flowed like a carpet around each shaft. A stream meandered through the vista, a silvery ribbon bisecting the lush grasses. Further along, I found an intriguing pond, its periphery framed by a smattering of purple wildflowers. I began photographing the beautiful landscape. On my third shot, as I was focusing the lens, a Great Blue Heron flew into the middle of the shot, perfectly placed and poised. Surprised and delighted, I took a couple more photos, changed lenses and zoomed in on my subject. I completed the series and whispered ‘thank you’ to the heron. Another favorite moment was added to my repertoire of memories.