Bird songs are the soundtrack of Spring. When we camp in the backyard, it’s impossible to avoid awakening early to a chaotic mix of symphonic communication. Luckily, bird sounds have been shown to lower our stress levels. Even recordings of bird sounds work.[1]
The birds were awfully quiet during the ice storms earlier this year. It was eerie, the only sounds branches cracking and hitting the ground. But in the seventy-degree weather of Spring, they were full blast as my son and I hung out under the Tulip Poplar. Their songs tapped the ancient parts of our brain as he lazily spun on the swing,
As I listened, my attention drifted. Not away from the moment, but deeper into it. My mind began to wander.
Research suggests that human minds wander about twenty-five percent of our waking hours[2]. When the brain gravitates so readily to something having nothing to do with food, clothing, and shelter, it’s usually evolved because there’s a good reason to do so.
That morning, it was to remind me of my Merlin Bird ID app[3] that I hadn’t brought out much in the winter (when I’d get cardinals, robins, and little else). I “caught” seven bird sounds that morning, including the Common Grackle, my “bird of the day.”
Then, a floodgate of associations opened. I’d seen the Common Grackle many times but never known it by that name, a name that fits right in with “Squirtle” and “Snorlax.” My mind jumped sideways to my decades of Pokémon knowledge gleaned from being adjacent to gamers.
Then I thought of how the creator of Pokémon wanted players to connect with his feelings during a childhood spent collecting insects in the wild.[4] I felt a version of that while catching my Grackle, thanks to the developers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
None of those connections would have been made had I been focused on productivity. Being a parent at home means there is always something more useful to be doing: laundry, meal prep, calendaring appointments. The whimsical quality of my morning resulted from nonjudgment and allowing my brain to go where it wanted.
What neuroscientists call the brain’s default mode is surprisingly powerful. Many insights and discoveries have emerged during moments of rest and relaxation. Swiss engineer George De Mestral began developing Velcro after he and his dog came home from a walk covered in cockleburs. Biochemist Kary Mullis had a flash of inspiration regarding the Polymerase Chain Reaction while driving in the mountains to a vacation cabin.[5]
Maybe my mind wandering on a Spring morning wasn’t as compelling as a scientific breakthrough, but it was a cheerful detour under puffy clouds and early green leaves. Mind wandering is a universal and uniquely human experience. Try taking a break and seeing where your mind wants to go.
[1] Brodwin, M. (2024). Are bird sounds good for your health? Birdful. from https://www.birdful.org/are-bird-sounds-good-for-your-health
[2] Joseph Jebelli, J. (2025). The Brain at Rest: How the art and science of doing nothing can improve your life. Dutton.
[3] Cornell Lab of Ornithology. (n.d.). Merlin Bird ID. Retrieved March 30, 2026, from https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org
[4] Wakeman, G. (2026, February 27). Nintendo released its first Pokémon games 30 years ago. Here’s how the beloved catchable “pocket monsters” became the world’s biggest media franchise. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/nintendo-released-its-first-pokemon-games-30-years-ago-heres-how-the-beloved-catchable-pocket-monsters-became-the-worlds-biggest-media-franchise-180988271/
[5] O’Leary, M. (2024, August 16). 8 accidental discoveries made while scientists were on vacation. Things You Didn’t Know. https://thingsyoudidntknow.com/8-accidental-discoveries-made-while-scientists-were-on-vacation
On Bird Songs and Pokémon
Bird songs are the soundtrack of Spring. When we camp in the backyard, it’s impossible to avoid awakening early to a chaotic mix of symphonic communication. Luckily, bird sounds have been shown to lower our stress levels. Even recordings of bird sounds work.[1]
The birds were awfully quiet during the ice storms earlier this year. It was eerie; the only sounds were branches cracking and hitting the ground. But in the seventy-degree weather of Spring, the little warblers were full blast as my son and I hung out under the Tulip Poplar. Their songs tapped the ancient parts of our brains as he lazily spun on the swing.
As I listened, my attention drifted. Not away from the moment, but deeper into it. My mind began to wander.
Research suggests that human minds wander about twenty-five percent of our waking hours[2]. When the brain gravitates so readily to something having nothing to do with food, clothing, and shelter, it’s usually evolved because there’s a good reason to do so.
That morning, it was to remind me of my Merlin Bird ID app[3] that I hadn’t brought out much in the winter (when I’d get cardinals, robins, and little else). I “caught” seven bird sounds that morning, including the Common Grackle, my “bird of the day.”
Then, a floodgate of associations opened. I’d seen the Common Grackle many times but never known it by that name, a name that fits right in with “Squirtle” and “Snorlax.” My mind jumped sideways to my decades of Pokémon knowledge gleaned from being adjacent to gamers.
Then I thought of how the creator of Pokémon wanted players to connect with his feelings during a childhood spent collecting insects in the wild.[4] I felt a version of that while catching my Grackle, thanks to the developers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
None of those connections would have been made had I been focused on productivity. Being a parent at home means there is always something more useful to be doing: laundry, meal prep, calendaring appointments. The whimsical quality of my morning resulted from nonjudgment and allowing my brain to go where it wanted.
What neuroscientists call the brain’s default mode is surprisingly powerful. Notable insights and discoveries have emerged during moments of relaxation. Swiss engineer George De Mestral began developing Velcro after he and his dog came home from a walk covered in cockleburs. Biochemist Kary Mullis had a flash of inspiration regarding the Polymerase Chain Reaction while driving in the mountains to a vacation cabin.[5]
Maybe my mind wandering on a Spring morning wasn’t as compelling as a scientific breakthrough, but it was a cheerful detour under puffy clouds and early green leaves. Mind wandering is a universal and uniquely human experience. Try taking a break and seeing where your mind wants to go.
[1] Brodwin, M. (2024). Are bird sounds good for your health? Birdful. https://www.birdful.org/are-bird-sounds-good-for-your-health
[2] Joseph Jebelli, J. (2025). The Brain at Rest: How the art and science of doing nothing can improve your life. Dutton.
[3] Cornell Lab of Ornithology. (n.d.). Merlin Bird ID. https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org
[4] Wakeman, G. (2026, February 27). Nintendo released its first Pokémon games 30 years ago. Here’s how the beloved catchable “pocket monsters” became the world’s biggest media franchise. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/nintendo-released-its-first-pokemon-games-30-years-ago-heres-how-the-beloved-catchable-pocket-monsters-became-the-worlds-biggest-media-franchise-180988271/
[5] O’Leary, M. (2024, August 16). 8 accidental discoveries made while scientists were on vacation. Things You Didn’t Know. https://thingsyoudidntknow.com/8-accidental-discoveries-made-while-scientists-were-on-vacation
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