Chasing Down the Muse: Taking wing on a beautiful day

All of the beauty, serenity and charm of Laguna are for the birds!

I’m not being snide or nasty here, not grousing about traffic or tourists or any of that other summer stuff. I am merely stating that the birds are welcomed in our town.

Laguna Beach is designated as a bird sanctuary. I am continually surprised by those who do not know this. Nobody is even allowed on Bird Rock because of its sanctuary status.

And if you have read this column before, you probably already know how attracted to birds I am. It doesn’t seem to matter which ones either, though I am not particularly enamored of turkey vultures, I must admit.

Watching and listening to birds just makes me happy.

While on a recent morning walk — this one in north Laguna — I glanced up the alley behind the house of my friends Fred and Jan Sattler. Perched atop a utility pole like a sentinel was a beautiful osprey. Wanting to share, I immediately called Jan and told her to look out the back window.

“Oh, he’s there for several days at a time,” she told me. “Sometimes he has a fish.”

I looked closely. Sure enough, there was a fish tail dangling from his talons. What a treat.

Stopping for a few moments at Crescent Point, I listened for the sound of one of my favorite birds, the red-billed, yellow-footed black oystercatcher. I was disappointed on this day not to hear the loud, clear whistled sound from the rocks below. Still, I could witness the bark of sea lions off the point and the sudden splash as a brown pelican dived into the blue-green sea.

Continuing to walk, I passed many folks — both locals and tourists — enjoying the charms of the shoreline. Birds frolicked everywhere. There were the ubiquitous laughing gulls, clever black crows along the lawns of Heisler Park, and low-flying cormorants farther out over the water near divers and stand-up paddlers.

An armada of brown pelicans flew even with the cliffs in their familiar semi-V pattern. At Main Beach, a huge group of multicolored pigeons lifted off from the theater rooftop in a sudden explosion of energy.

As I left the beach, I found myself for a moment envying the birds and the people who would enjoy these scenes all day. I had work to do and places to be.

For the summer months, Booth 128 at the Sawdust Art Festival is where I spend much of my time. Not to be completely left out, I have made it a joyful place — a sanctuary of sorts — for myself. Bright yellow and filled with bird images, it stands for long days in nature itself.

Soon enough, summer will be over and we can all move about town in an easy, slow manner as autumn comes on. But what a great summer we will have had.

Sure, Laguna Beach experiences plenty of growing pains, but it still is a haven. We and the birds are fortunate to be able to enjoy the beauty, serenity and charm that are still Laguna Beach.

CHERRIL DOTY is an artist, writer and teacher who embraces the mystery and magic of all that is life. She loves being a grandma! You can reach her at (714) 745-9973 or by email at cherril@cherrildoty.com.