“Rusty’s Perch”
Bird Blind dedicated at Commons Ford Ranch Metropolitan Park
On Sunday morning, June 23, 2019, family and friends of Rusty Osborne gathered near the prairie at Commons Ford Park to officially dedicate “Rusty’s Perch.” The perch is a bird blind tucked away among the purple horsemint and orange standing cypress wildflowers on the northwestern end of Commons Ford Prairie. The inspiring, peaceful space is dedicated to the memory of Rusty Osborne, a lover of nature and frequent visitor to the park before his passing in June of 2016. A botanist by training and a lifelong lover of the natural world, Rusty so enjoyed spending time at Commons Ford Park, watching the birds, identifying the beautiful prairie flowers and walking the trails with family and friends.
Family and friends meet in the park before visiting the bird blind.
As a crowd of family and friends gathered on the early summer morning to share in conversation and memories of Rusty, the dedication ceremony began with opening remarks by Sheila Hargis, co-chair of the Commons Ford Prairie Committee. After providing a brief history of the bird blind project, Sheila introduced Cecelia Green who read a poem dedicated to her late husband. Cecelia was joined in her reading by her son, Robin Osborne and her daughter, Lauren Osborne.
After the reading, people dispersed and walked down the road to the bird blind. Once at the blind, a plaque was unveiled. All admired the blind, the beautifully constructed benches, the water storage tank and the drip. Many photos were taken and there was much conversation between friends old and new.
Plaque in the bird blind.
The beautifully constructed bird blind is a project recently completed by the Commons Ford Prairie Restoration Organization, a committee of Travis Audubon Society. The simple and elegant wooden structure provides a quiet, comfortable space for birders and photographers to spend time observing birds that are attracted to the drip for water and rest. The 8 by 12 foot structure blends into the surrounding brush and landscape. It has a metal roof for rainwater collection and gutters on the front direct water into an adjacent water storage tank. A tube from the tank carries water about 20 feet away to a gravity-fed drip and small basin where birds can drink and bathe.
Even though the prairie and the park have Lake Austin frontage, which provides plenty of water for birds and other wildlife, a water drip and a bird blind provide easy accessibility to water for birds. A small shallow basin offers a safe place for bathing and the drip provides much needed water on hot, dry days. The blind also provides a great place for birders, photographers and park visitors to observe nature in action.
Robin Osborne, Cecilia Green and Lauren Osborne at the drip.
Many thanks to all of the Commons Ford Prairie Committee members for their work in creating such a beautiful space for wildlife. Committee members include: co-chairs Sheila Hargis and Ellen Filtness; members Andy Filtness, Mark Lyon, Deb Wallace, Lee Wallace, Janice Sturrock, Kirsti Harms, Terri Seigenthaler, Michael Sims, and Ed Fair, in absentia. Funding for the bird blind was provided by the family of Rusty Osborne. Thanks also to the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department for their assistance in the construction of the bird blind.
As the last of the visitors were gathering up ice chests and binoculars and preparing to leave the park, someone spotted a blue grosbeak on a stalk in the prairie. His striking blue color stood out and the female of the nesting pair sat on a branch below.
Commons Ford Ranch Metropolitan Park is part of the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department.
For more information about Commons Ford Prairie and Park, click on the link below. From the blog page, you can click on the Flickr link to see photo documentation of the impressive diversity of birds and plants at this beautiful park.
Not Gone - For Rusty
The water.
Branches.
Coyotes crying.
Shifting of light.
Everything you planted.
Softness in the changing hours of day.
All you gave.
How to say the beacon one person becomes?
When visible widens to horizon
-where did you go? -
we will still sit with you on the porch.
Gazing into dark, night birds marking the rim.
Through trees, watching for something to move.
Stars blinking mystery.
In us as you are.
Comforted by layers, known and unknown,
Breathing curiosity, wonder, care,
that fill the air you walked through,
took in delightedly, shared.
How long to make a rock?
And here it is, in hand.
poem by Naomi Shihab Nye
photos-Lee Wallace
article-Janice Sturrock
photos-Lee Wallace
article-Janice Sturrock
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