10 Things: Oops! All Birds Edition
Sorry, not sorry.
The migrating birds are migrating, which means it’s is an exciting time for people like me, who get jazzed about birds. I identify as a bird-watcher more than a birder; I like to watch the birds, and I don’t feel competitive about it. I also identify that way because I want people to know how welcome they are to also watch birds. Something about the word “birder” can imply shiny gear, obscure knowledge, and a commitment to leaving the house very early in the morning. None of these things is required for watching birds. You could watch birds right now. Go outside, listen for a bird, and when you hear one, follow the sound until you can watch it. It’s free, it’s inclusive, it doesn’t require anything from you but a little time.
But why do this thing, if you’re not doing it for sport or glory? The reason to do it is because you are here, on this Earth, now — during a time when, incredibly, despite all there is to bemoan, there are 11,000 species of birds. When you start noticing things about birds, and how they are different (in at least 11,000 different possible ways), the world itself expands. You know those tight little sponges that look like pills, until you put them in water and they become huge? The world does that. Suddenly, there is so much more to see and hear than you knew before.
To watch birds, you are not required to learn anything about them. You don’t have to know their names, or their idiosyncrasies. But you will learn about them, because they will teach you about themselves, and slowly, you’ll come to enjoy holding the understanding that common yellowthroats dip around near the ground and wrens produce torrential sounds that defy their teeny tiny bodies. During migration, some sparrows might have white stripes on their heads. See if you can notice just that. The first time you do, I dare you to not experience a little thrill: Oh! That’s something new! That’s something different!
I encourage you to bird-watch because joy is essential. Despite everything, there’s always something new to see, hold, and love.
If you want a starter pack for your bird-watching journey, then I boy, do I have the 10 Things for you! Bird-watchers and birders in the audience, chime in the comments with more things you recommend.
Photo credit: Kat. This is me holding the NOCS. A confession: I have never liked or really used binoculars. I like to just stare at the trees, squinting. But I’ve always had a pair, in case a pair might become necessary, and my nice ones were stolen from my car in the winter. (I hope the person who stole them gets really into bird-watching. Why not hope for such a thing?) When seeking a replacement, I wanted a truly beginner-friendly pair, because I’ve always struggled with binoculars, and in particular with their bells and whistles. After some light research, I came across these well-reviewed very pretty binoculars (they come in loads of handsome shades), and have been so impressed with them. They’re novice friendly, inexpensive for a nice pair of binoculars, and, crucially for a finicky person like me who dislikes carrying literally anything, lightweight.
I didn’t want to recommend this prematurely, because it is really still in the beta stages of existence, and it took two human years to get to me once I ordered it, but now that we’ve had it installed for a few months, I’m ready to tell you: I’m obsessed.
This is a little device you put in your yard, and it constantly monitors the soundscape for bird sounds in your vicinity. You can see them in an app, and know when there might be a scarlet tanager annoying you at 4 in the morning!
It also shares its data with scientists and researchers who help birds, so you’re doing a good thing for the Earth 24 hours a day seven days a week just by having it in your yard. If a $200 plastic oval is too much of a commitment for you (I definitely get it), make sure you have downloaded the free citizen scientist app Merlin, from the Cornell Bird Lab. This one is on your phone, and you turn it on to find out what bird sounds are around you. Like the Terra, it shares bird data with scientists, and it has an elegant, ad-free interface. It’s the number one app for the bird-curious.
Wake up for the dawn chorus.
The reason the bird-watchers get up at an ungodly time is because most birds sleep at night, and are hungry in the morning. It is a bonanza. During migration, I like to wake up as early as possible and sit on my front porch with Merlin turned on (see above) to know who I’m sharing airspace with. I don’t usually see all the birds I can hear, but I like knowing they’re there; like I’m at a sexy celebrity party and it is known that somewhere in the mansion is Brandy (indigo bunting), Mariah Carey (scarlet tanager), and Weird Al Yankovic (warbler, multiple). (I only care about 1990s celebrities, it turns out.)
The Bird Way by Jennifer Ackerman.
Really, let me recommend all of Jennifer Ackerman’s books to you, because she writes about birds like no one else on Earth. But I just finished this one and I liked it a lot; it’s about bird behavior. Early in the book, Ackerman explains that one of her favorite things about birds is that there is so much about them we don’t understand. Hard same. I love living in a universe where mystery is alive and well.
Unusual Bird Interruption.
During the school year, I set a weekly alarm for a time that I know I will be in class that goes off with the label “Unusual Bird Interruption.” When it goes off, we must stop what we are doing and allow ourselves to marvel at a bird. Since there are no birds in the school where I work (that I know of), we do this by watching a video. You can do this not in a classroom, too. Just have a time every week where you enjoy a video about a bird. You will not regret it. Here are links to some of my absolute all-time favorites.
A Bird Chat
Last year, or maybe two years ago (time is a gooey slime mold, right?), my friend Diana started a group text for four total people to discuss the comings and goings of the birds in our lives. You’d text, “I saw a brown creeper! Spring is coming!” And everyone else would say, “WOOOO OMG!” It is good in the spring, it is good in the fall, it is good in the winter. A bird chat, it turns out, is the perfect group chat. It is only for discussions about birds. But talking about birds and appreciating birds with a few very close people brings you much closer. There have been many, many hard days in the past six months that have been ameliorated by a ping from the Bird Chat. I cannot recommend enough doing this for yourself and three of your bird-interested compatriots.
Black oil sunflower seeds.
Also the seed you should choose if you want a chickadee to eat out of your hand. There are lots of bird seed mixes on the market, and some are cheap and some are expensive. The cheap ones generally have lots of millet. The spendier ones boast unnecessary extras, like hot chili to deter squirrels, or “waste free” presentation. The truth is, nothing really beats the humble black oil sunflower seed if you’re wanting to attract the colorful guys. Look for a blend that is mostly black in the bag, and you will not regret it.
A squirrel-proof bird feeder.
Look, I love squirrels. But when a squirrel is sitting on your bird feeder unceremoniously bingeing and spilling your seeds every which way, it’s hard not to be annoyed. I have had the experience of coming within a centemeter of a squirrel eating from my bird feeder, trying to discourage him from being there, and noting his undeterredness. In the winter, I splurged on a Brome Squirrel Buster classic feeder, and have ZERO REGRETS. It’s a lifetime purchase — they cost about $75 — but they’re incredibly sturdy, and they really do deter squirrels! A very cute, very frustrated squirrel has hung off mine trying to beat the system, but it’s unbeatable. I am excited to have it for the rest of my time on Earth.
“The Birding Dictionary” by Rosemary Mosco.
I’m writing this post with the assumption that Rosemary Mosco herself is already on your radar — she’s among the greatest bird artists of our time, and her work is thoughtful, hilarious, important, and brilliant. But it’s possible you don’t know about this new book of hers, which I’m excited to buy. (I will do this after my birthday, because there’s a possibility that someone who loves me knows me well enough to know that I want this and will buy it for me.) However, I’ve flipped through it, and it’s great. It’s truly a dictionary that’s all about birds and bird terms — except that it, in true-to-Mosco form, is very funny. Here, take in the entry for beak.
10. FROM KAT: Kat is one of the people I go bird-watching with. (She is actually a birder, where I am a bird-watcher. She is very good at keeping track of her birds, and submitting her sightings to eBird so that the scientists know what’s out there, too.) Going bird-watching is very romantic. She sent me this. And other things.
dear sophie,
wonderful bird content, thank you!
love
myq
I'm going to "biggest week in American birding" this weekend - it's already started and I'm so excited. Toledo/Sandusky area for anyone curious