I would guess that all birders at one time or other have been asked what it is that attracts them to the pastime. And I suppose that there are as many answers as there are birders. I can think of dozens of great answers myself. Here’s one.
Birding keeps me humble enough to make me bearable to friends and relatives. In my early twenties I became a Fish and Wildlife Officer in north-central Alberta. I had passed all the courses, taken the medical, had the uniform fitted and went to work as the resident source of all knowledge pertaining to fish, animals and birds. I pretty much knew everything about everything pertaining to the creatures inhabiting my district.
Today, some sixty plus years later, I find that I know less and less about more and more. I certainly know less about birds and their behaviours. Almost every day now I see a bird do something that puzzles me. And I’m sure that’s good for me. Let me give you a couple of examples.
A couple of years ago I was photographing a pair of White-crowned Sparrows who had nested in my garden as they raised a nest full of babies. In total there were four chicks and the parents diligently hunted for insects to keep them growing. Then one day something peculiar occurred. The female plucked a small leaf from one of my wife’s herb beds – a small sage leaf. She then captured a fairly large ant carelessly working nearby and folded it into the leaf. She flew back to the nest and fed this ant taco to one of her babies. Until then I had never seen a White-crowned feed a leaf to a baby. Over the next few days I saw her do this several times. Although I can’t be sure, I think she fed this meal to the same chick each time. Now, what in the world was that about?
I can think of several possibilities as I am sure you can. Was she medicating the chick? Did she sense that something was lacking in this one baby’s diet? I don’t suppose I will ever know but I am grateful to have witnessed it.
A second example. A few weeks ago I walked out to Longbeak Spit from Morning Beach. On my return, as I got to the final point before the last stretch of beach to the stairs, I walked up on a mixed flock of Red-breasted and Common Mergansers. They were actively feeding in typical boisterous Merganser fashion on what I think was a school of juvenile herring quite close to the beach. I was only thirty or forty metres from them. A bit surprised since normally Mergansers are more skittish than this I stood for a few minutes and photographed birds chasing small fish in the water. Then I resumed my walk to the Morning Beach stairs perhaps a kilometre away. At which time something astonishing occurred.
The entire flock of some sixty plus birds began accompanying me up the beach. They swam right beside me at the same thirty or so metres distance keeping exactly to my pace. When I began experimenting, they cooperated perfectly. If I slowed down, so did they. Speed up, so did they. Stop, so did they, although then their constant Merganser mutterings seemed to take on a worried tone. They followed me this way the whole distance to the stairs. When I began to climb, they waited while I got ten or twelve steps up and then they turned and swam a few hundred metres out and began fishing again. Same question – what in the world was that about?
And, same answer. I don’t think I will ever know for certain, but I am enormously pleased that it happened.
So, one great reason to go birding. It never gets old. There is always something new to bring joy and wonder into your life. Always another surprise waiting just past the next point on the beach or turn in the trail.
The DCA 24-Hour Birdathon is coming up on May 23rd-24th. This is a biennial fundraiser for DCA and all the proceeds from birder pledges go to supporting DCA’s going conservation work. All levels of birder are welcome to join in the fun! You can find out more, learn about upcoming Bird walks, and download a pledge form here: www.denmanconservancy.org/birdathon/.
The next outing in our Bird Walk Series will be on Saturday, May 3rd, 8am – Bird Calls, with Joan Scruton & Jenny Balke – Fillongley Park, Meet at the Bridge
