Always on the console, between the front seats of my vehicle, sit a pair of binoculars. I never know when I might see an unusual bird, or one that I cannot identify quickly while driving. Then, I safely and lawfully pull off the road and check it out. I am what is known as a fully-law-compliant “birder”.
“Birding” can be much more than just placidly gazing at the feathery animals–for many, it becomes a passion and lifestyle. A man asks his mate what they should do for their vacation? “The Gulf during late May would be a wonderful place to go—after all we might hit the warbler migration as they come across the Caribbean from South America.” A mother might ask her kids where they want to go for a picnic? “Let’s go to Tulelake—the shorebirds are moving through and we might see semipalmated plovers!”
For non-birders (often called “civilians”) the people with this addiction seem strange, awkward and geekish types, who park only half-way off the highway; wear vests with many pockets and shorts that show off their knobby knees; have binoculars bouncing off their shoulders; and tightly grip their expensive spotting scopes (with long tripod legs fully extended). Good people to avoid, many civilians think.
I am a birder, but not of an extreme variety. I do get notices on my phone when a rare bird has been seen nearby, but I rarely drop everything to race off in the hope of being able to put it on my “list”.
“Putting it on the list” is an important concept for birders. Many birders are competitive and birding has more statistics to manage than baseball! I should know—I grew up with baseball and loved the Giants! Earned run averages! Batting averages! Slugging percentages! Fielding percentages! And each one gets modified every time a player flexes another muscle.
For birders, too, the variety of lists is endless and can be modified at a drop of a hat. The basic list is made for an “outing”, when every species seen is recorded. An “outing” can be just looking out a kitchen window at a backyard feeder, driving along a rural lane, or going to a wildlife refuge. It can cover just a few minutes or an entire day of diligent effort.
But, why stop with just a list of the species seen during an outing? We can also record the number of birds of each species. Of course, the list needs to be placed somewhere for safekeeping. In the good old days, the records were kept in notebooks. Now, there are computer programs where this information is stored and shared with the world. The one I use is called “eBird”.
Because not all birders are good at bird identification, enter data flawlessly, or are truthful (yes, there are unscrupulous birders!) eBird has volunteer police (my term) that review the lists and clean up likely mistakes. The result is amazing! For any species I can view eBird maps showing where it was seen today, last year, or during the last 50 years! Citizen-birders provide important information about the wellbeing of our feathery friends.
But, I got sidetracked from the wonderful word of lists. Many years ago I would go to a friends’ house and see the refrigerator covered with “lists”. Birds they had seen today, this week, this month, this year, during their entire life. Birds they had seen in their yard, their city, their county, their state, their country, in the entire world! There were so many lists there was no room for National Park magnets or pictures of their children! Guess what the dinner table talk was about??
I have been having fun writing and thinking about birding and birder quirks, but it is a beautiful hobby and something that everyone should try. My suggestions: 1) get a good pair of binoculars, ones that you can comfortably raise to your eyes and clearly see targets; 2) load the Merlin app on your phone (which will help with bird identification); and 3) set up seed and nectar (hummingbird) feeders easily seen from your living or dining rooms. Seeing birds closeup and stationary help with identification. When you go on a vacation or for a drive, bring your binoculars: this hobby travels well.
We have great and easily accessible spots for birds: Greenhorn Park in Yreka; Shasta Valley Wildlife Area (near Montague); Ft. Jones Cemetery; or the Wehmeyer Environmental Education Center (near Mt. Shasta). For the ultimate outing try Lower Klamath or Tulelake.
If you become a birder, you will get the urge for occasionally “gonzo “outings”. Start early and visit spots with different types of habitats as the day progresses. Visit locations with forest, brushlands, fields and pasture and eastside sagebrush. Make sure to reach the Klamath Basin before dark. You should be able to finish with a list exceeding 100 different species and a strong desire to lay off birding for at least a week or two.
Birding is a sport for youngsters or septuagenarians. It can be shared with loved ones. It is cheap and helps you and your family stay connected with nature. It is also a great way to perfect your list-making skills.
