In my last column, I wrote about the delight of discovering a robin’s nest next to our home and observing the cycle of life that transpired there.

In a hopeful update, mama robin is on her second round of rearing two new nestlings that emerged from turquoise eggs on July 26. I will be respectfully keeping an eye on their progress.

Only a few paces away, another cleverly cloaked creature made its way into my awareness as I passed by a large boulder near our driveway. The boulder is blanketed in glowing green sedum plant matter, into which a small American toad had excavated a moist resting place. Closer inspection revealed a carefully carved cave-like space surrounding a fetching warty face worthy of a quick photo shoot.

“Attention is the beginning of devotion,” writes the poet Mary Oliver. As I observe the creatures that inhabit my yard, are they in turn observing me? What are their lives like and how are they affected by mine?

Mindful awareness of their presence, and devotion to learning more about how they live is an engaging process that increases my devotion to their well-being.

My primary tools for such learning are the senses of sight and sound, observing and listening. But lately I’ve been playing with perspective, exploring a different relationship through embodied awareness of the animal I’m devoting mindful attention to.

The actual process involves imagining what it’s like to “be the toad” or the baby robin nestled into their sheltered spaces or going about their lives.

What is the view from where they are? Why might they be there? How does it feel to rest in the warmth of a nest fringed with grasses or the coolness of an earthy excavation arced with lush green growth? What do they hear or smell as I walk by? How does my presence make them feel?

Whether hidden or revealed, observed at a distance or up close, the study of fellow life forms is in essence an exploration of self and other.

The next time you encounter something of interest in the natural world, play around with the process I’ve described. By orienting to another’s way of being, you just might learn more about yourself.