Birding became an interest of mine in Chapel Hill a few years ago, when my neighbor's two cats and I would wait with equal interest to see if anything landed at the backyard bird feeder my dad had installed for me. Quite a few things did land there, actually, which was a delightful surprise, especially considering how little I did to attract them. I did have a pretty great backyard with some nice woods behind me and a creek down the hill (and also a worrisome power plant, but the birds didn't mind that). It wasn't uncommon to see bluebirds, woodpeckers, yellow-rumped warblers, and even a barred owl. I never created a birding "list" though, one example of why I wouldn't even consider myself an amateur at the sport. I was reminded of this last spring when my friend Fielding let me tag along on a birding outing at Radnor Lake. We hooked up with some serious birders, and Fielding quickly proved himself up to task of identification. I, on the other hand, spent most of the time wondering why I couldn't see a thing, only to realize 3/4s of the way through that I was looking through the WRONG END of the binoculars he had lent me. I learned on that trip that serious birders have to have extraordinary patience, and they were all kind enough to extend some to me as they waited for the show.
Still, I'm hoping birding is somewhere in the genes, as my parents have their own incredible bluebird show in Roanoke. They have been feeding bluebird families for years in their backyard, and these bluebirds swoop down from the trees twice a day when my parents ring a silver bell to signal that the soup is on. To witness this is to understand how magical birding can be.
I thought of all the talented birders I know when I came across this great review for a new book out on birding by Scott Weidensaul called OF A FEATHER: A Brief History of American Birding.
I also was recently reminded of that wonderful book about the red-tail hawks in New York City called Red-Tails in Love: A Wildlife Drama in Central Park. The latter might be better for anyone out there who is still struggling to find the right end of the binoculars.
1 comment:
That is so cool about the bluebirds at your parents' house. I love bluebirds. I always buy the $10 bluebird houses at the CCB bank every year, but carolina wrens take them over before the bluebirds get to them. They have their charm, but bluebirds are for me. :)
ps. I really like your blog! I hope you don't mind that I'm checking in - you write so well, and I like hearing about all these good books and your life as a teacher!
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