I started birding in my mid-thirties. I joined the local Audubon chapter, did weekend bird walks, and took a distance ed Cornell course. I experienced a different kind of frustration: the more experienced birders, the lifers, often led the walks and seldom had patience for newbies. I wasn't interested in a personal life list - I wanted to know about the birds, their life stories, their place in the ecosystem, their behaviors. I traded the group walks for solo walks at a nearby refuge, and though I likely missed identifying many of the birds, I loved simply watching them live their lives.
On my first bird tour in AZ, I met the judgey lifers! First, the man who looked at my older, large, and heavy binos and commented that his newer ones were more powerful than mine. I was a bit stunned. A couple on the same tour failed to hide their dismay at my not keeping a life list. Why was I on a tour? On the last day of the tour, our wonderful guide, who was a delightful storyteller, shared that an Elegant Trogon had built a nest and was looking for a mate on an easy-to-access trail. Her excitement was contagious! The parking lot was packed, and the trail was busy with birders, looking for the trogon. When we found him, our guide was telling stories about trogons and their lives. Two men in official birding apparel, both carrying large scopes, stopped next to me and asked what we were seeing. When I told them, they responded with, "oh, already on the list" and continued walking.
I don't chase rare birds, but I will go birding on my own now and then. This winter, I visited the Whooping Cranes in TX and spent 2.5 wonderful days filled with birds. Next winter, I am thinking about a natural history tour in the Sonoran Desert that includes birding, plant identification, and ecosystem relationships.
I had almost forgotten that some birders really do fit the stereotype of being impatient with newbies or uninterested in something that’s “already on the list.” (I may have had a similar thought if I was on a time crunch, like when I’m traveling and I REALLY want to see something I might not get another chance to for years, or if I was trying to get specific data or something for a science reason. But I just looked up an elegant trogon and that is definitely worth stopping for more than once!)
Since I started birding, I don’t know if it was the time period or something about Georgia birders, I have not encountered much of that. People are mostly really welcoming and love helping people who are new to it. That’s part of sharing the joy and getting to experience it again, by helping someone else find it.
The binoculars story reminded me of a time I was photographing snail kites in Florida and while I was trying to set up a shot, some random guy broke my (mental) focus by commenting that my shutter speed sounded awfully slow. I have no idea what he was talking about, because it was not slow, but mostly I wanted to turn to him and say, “Did I ask for your opinion?”
That natural history tour sounds amazing. I have not done anything like that yet, in part because I get social overload and like having the option to be totally flexible with my time (but that leads to missing out on things, too), but I think someday I will.
I do think there is something about southern manners! I think my newbie experience was partly because I was asking questions about bird behavior, like a little kid asking "why" all the time, but I was with people who couldn't answer. At the time, the Audubon chapter was dominated by older people - in my late 30s, I think I was the youngest person who attended meetings and outings. My birding tour in AZ was amazing, minus the experiences I described. Man-splaining is always interesting to recieve!
I started birding in my 20's, when I saw a bird I didn't recognize on a fencepost. It's a bee-eater, my dad said--a non-birder who can tell you more about the birds that live near the farm and bird behavior than most birders. It was an Eastern Kingbird.
Is it fun? Depends. I am a stage 4 birder, less because of skill and more because of parenting. New bird birding takes more attention and time than I had with small children, so I shifted the kind of birding that I did. I don't have much of a life list any more, but sometimes I get new neighbors! There were a pair of cinnamon teals on our neighborhood pond this winter. Surely not the first time I have ever seen cinnamon teals anywhere, but who knows. I sometimes chase rarities if they are easy to access and easy to spot. In other words, no real chasing involved. There were two roseate spoonbills in the desert a few years ago and I took my children to see one, but that was because it was in a place we were used to visiting and it is hard to miss a giant pink bird. Generally, I am happy to bird along wherever I am, whenever I get the chance. (Hooray for Merlin!) There are always birds.
This was so good!
I started birding in my mid-thirties. I joined the local Audubon chapter, did weekend bird walks, and took a distance ed Cornell course. I experienced a different kind of frustration: the more experienced birders, the lifers, often led the walks and seldom had patience for newbies. I wasn't interested in a personal life list - I wanted to know about the birds, their life stories, their place in the ecosystem, their behaviors. I traded the group walks for solo walks at a nearby refuge, and though I likely missed identifying many of the birds, I loved simply watching them live their lives.
On my first bird tour in AZ, I met the judgey lifers! First, the man who looked at my older, large, and heavy binos and commented that his newer ones were more powerful than mine. I was a bit stunned. A couple on the same tour failed to hide their dismay at my not keeping a life list. Why was I on a tour? On the last day of the tour, our wonderful guide, who was a delightful storyteller, shared that an Elegant Trogon had built a nest and was looking for a mate on an easy-to-access trail. Her excitement was contagious! The parking lot was packed, and the trail was busy with birders, looking for the trogon. When we found him, our guide was telling stories about trogons and their lives. Two men in official birding apparel, both carrying large scopes, stopped next to me and asked what we were seeing. When I told them, they responded with, "oh, already on the list" and continued walking.
I don't chase rare birds, but I will go birding on my own now and then. This winter, I visited the Whooping Cranes in TX and spent 2.5 wonderful days filled with birds. Next winter, I am thinking about a natural history tour in the Sonoran Desert that includes birding, plant identification, and ecosystem relationships.
Thanks for a great essay on birding!
I had almost forgotten that some birders really do fit the stereotype of being impatient with newbies or uninterested in something that’s “already on the list.” (I may have had a similar thought if I was on a time crunch, like when I’m traveling and I REALLY want to see something I might not get another chance to for years, or if I was trying to get specific data or something for a science reason. But I just looked up an elegant trogon and that is definitely worth stopping for more than once!)
Since I started birding, I don’t know if it was the time period or something about Georgia birders, I have not encountered much of that. People are mostly really welcoming and love helping people who are new to it. That’s part of sharing the joy and getting to experience it again, by helping someone else find it.
The binoculars story reminded me of a time I was photographing snail kites in Florida and while I was trying to set up a shot, some random guy broke my (mental) focus by commenting that my shutter speed sounded awfully slow. I have no idea what he was talking about, because it was not slow, but mostly I wanted to turn to him and say, “Did I ask for your opinion?”
That natural history tour sounds amazing. I have not done anything like that yet, in part because I get social overload and like having the option to be totally flexible with my time (but that leads to missing out on things, too), but I think someday I will.
Thank you for sharing your story!
I do think there is something about southern manners! I think my newbie experience was partly because I was asking questions about bird behavior, like a little kid asking "why" all the time, but I was with people who couldn't answer. At the time, the Audubon chapter was dominated by older people - in my late 30s, I think I was the youngest person who attended meetings and outings. My birding tour in AZ was amazing, minus the experiences I described. Man-splaining is always interesting to recieve!
I started birding in my 20's, when I saw a bird I didn't recognize on a fencepost. It's a bee-eater, my dad said--a non-birder who can tell you more about the birds that live near the farm and bird behavior than most birders. It was an Eastern Kingbird.
Is it fun? Depends. I am a stage 4 birder, less because of skill and more because of parenting. New bird birding takes more attention and time than I had with small children, so I shifted the kind of birding that I did. I don't have much of a life list any more, but sometimes I get new neighbors! There were a pair of cinnamon teals on our neighborhood pond this winter. Surely not the first time I have ever seen cinnamon teals anywhere, but who knows. I sometimes chase rarities if they are easy to access and easy to spot. In other words, no real chasing involved. There were two roseate spoonbills in the desert a few years ago and I took my children to see one, but that was because it was in a place we were used to visiting and it is hard to miss a giant pink bird. Generally, I am happy to bird along wherever I am, whenever I get the chance. (Hooray for Merlin!) There are always birds.