Zeeee-up!

I first posted this to the Maine-Birds listserve back on May 4th, 2009:

For months I have been occasionally looking at field guides with my now two-year-old daughter, Anouk. I would tell her stories about my experiences with the various birds we look at, including my interpretation of their song. To Anouk, a Black-capped Chickadee is, “Pappa, dee dee dee.” American Crow, “Taw taw,” (she pronounces her hard “c” and “k” as “t”). Red-breasted Nuthatch says, “Ang ang.”

Well, yesterday morning we went outside shortly after she first awoke. The dawn chorus was in full swing: Hermit Thrush, Black-throated Green Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Pine Warbler, Blue-headed Vireo. Then Anouk informed me, pointing to the tree-tops, “Pappa, zeeee-up.” Sure enough, my first of the year Northern Parula. I nearly fell over! And she was right, too!