President’s Column
Redwood Region Audubon Society:
We Take All Kinds
November 2005
Birdwatching, aka “birding,” has different meanings to different people and many variations among those who enjoy it. Folks who enjoy a particular aspect of it may regard a different aspect as extreme or obsessive. Yet, birders at the opposite ends of the continuum recognize each other as birders.
We have inherited from the British the peculiar notion of “listing.” I don’t mean just writing down the birds that you see, but making separate lists for the day, month, year, lifetime, yard, county, state, country, and continent. I have witnessed deliberation about what county list to enter a bird in if it is seen in Humboldt County from across the south fork of the Trinity River in Trinity County. If it flies across the river, should it be put on both lists? What if it’s on the county line?
Other variants of listers are Big Day, Big Month, and Big Year birders. These are the derby birders. How late and how far will a big day birder stay out and go to get that “last” species? As late and as far as needed until there is no hope of seeing it.
At the other end of the spectrum are the birders who like looking at birds, and that’s it.
Then there are the optics. Big Dayers and listers tend to go for binoculars and scopes costing over $1,000 each, paying a premium for European labor costs to get the last word in optics. The casual birder might not have a binocular or may use a $49.95 “headache special.”
Most of us are between the extremes. We bird because we like watching birds and are interested in their behavior and how they interact with the environment. Our optics are adequate to add to our enjoyment and enable us to identify birds without undue eyestrain. We keep a record of what we see because it might be useful, eventually, to help us or other birders enjoy seeing a particular bird. We participate in Christmas Bird Counts because we recognize their importance.
Lastly, there is the professional. This breed of birder actually gets paid to bird. Listing, derby birding, and good optics are required to hone and maintain professional skills. The pros who participate with us armateurs make a valuable contribution to birding and Redwood Region Audubon Society.
Although differences among birders are many, they are overcome by the cohesive force of love of birds and their environs. I invite all who love birds and want to protect their habitats to participate in our chapter. Whether you are a hot or casual birder, an expert grant writer, a teacher or a parent who wants more RRAS activities for children, we welcome your ideas, criticism, professional opinion, expertise, and creativity.