“A Golden-crowned Kinglet is much smarter than me when it comes to navigation,” writes Don Torino.
Photo Credit: Patrick Carney

Don Torino of the Bergen County Audubon Society, who co-leads many of our walks, also writes a weekly column for wildnewjersey.tv. His latest is about avian intelligence.

Here’s a sample:

As I sat myself down on nearby bench and stretched out my tired legs on a beautiful cold crisp Meadowlands morning, my tired eyes were drawn to an ever so slight movement in a close by shrub.

Before I knew it, a delightful tiny Golden-crowned Kinglet burst out of the foliage and decided to use my shoe as its crow’s nest for finding its next meal.

As I froze in place trying to make this almost magical experience last as long as possible, I thought of how far this little visitor had traveled on such a perilous journey to honor my hiking boot with its presence.

The link is here.