Recently in Birding Category

There's something about January that makes me want to go birding. It has been a couple years since I attended the Audubon Naturalist Society's winter bird walk at the National Arboretum in Washington, DC, but I was on top of the calendar this year. However, there was a walk this morning in Loudoun County much closer to my home so I opted to try something new. The Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve is a quick 20 minute drive from Lansdowne, and boasts some great birding spots. 

I listed birds that I directly saw, even if identified by another birder, but I didnt include birds seen and identified by others that I didn't see. For example, someone called out the Purple Finch today, but I didn't see it. Here's my list from today's bird walk (in no particular order):

Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)

Having a dog means that once again I'm taking walks every morning and evening, which I love. I noticed some birds the other morning and thought to bring my binoculars the following day. However, it dawned on me that I might look like a neighborhood perv walking around with my dog and peering around with binoculars. So, I stopped bringing "the glass" with me. Wouldn't you know it, this morning there was a small flock of Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) swooping from tree to tree on the next street over. I was close enough to see the waxwing's telltale profile, but I was kicking myself for leaving the binoculars at home. 

I started birding casually several years ago when I wanted something to do while kayaking with my wife and friends. I read Sibley's Birding Basics, bought a decent pair of binoculars, and started going on free birding walks here and there. As with most new hobbies, the flamed burned hot for a while before fading to a spark. I had been meaning to read Mark Obmascik's The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature, and Fowl Obsession since it was published in 2004. I finally got around to it on the cruise and I loved it. Incidentally, I picked the paperback at Powell's Books when I was in Portland a few weeks ago--an autographed copy no less. I hate to echo what the book jacket reviews say, but it really is a great story for anyone, whether interested in birds or not. For me, it lit my fire for birding again.

A Big Year in birding is an informal competition where birders attempt to see as many different species as possible within the US limits (set by the American Birding Association) from January 1 to December 31. Few people have the time and resources to attempt a record-breaking attempt, but in 1998 three birders broke the 700-species barrier (note: there are about 675 species native to the US). In fact, 1998 is now considered the biggest Big Year ever because of the large el niño that brought dozens of species within the geographic limits that normally don't come close. It's quite a tale of determination and the human spirit, and entertainingly written.

Even when I wasn't actively birding over the past couple years, I was always mindful to take my binoculars when traveling to places where I might have a chance to see birds. They came in handy on the cruise as I was able to do some birding at Yellow Beach on Pinel Island, St. Martin (French-side). We took an excursion there to snorkel and then I saw several Bananaquits in the trees on the beach. Unless I return to the caribbean, this may have been my first "life bird."

Someone asked me once why I started birding. I simply responded, "because the bow tie just wasn't nerdy enough."