My Birding Superpower
Ends with an uplifting video ...
I like to think that I can make a fair go of identifying birds in the field - so long as I don’t have to do it from their songs, as I am quite hard of hearing and anyway have never been able to “hold a tune”. So when I am asked, as occasionally happens, to organize and lead a bird walk or a field trip I often try to suggest someone else or at least I try to share the responsibility - being accompanied by someone with functioning ears being quite a handy thing. Frankly I feel a little embarrassed about this, though I do my best. Now though, I have discovered that I have a real birding superpower and have at last come to terms with this inability to exceed peoples’ expectations. I can now relax in birding company.
The revelation came when I read a post by Rebecca Heisman, who writes about birds and birding for a living. In the article linked to below, she wrote:
… you really don’t want me leading a trip. Not if you want participants to actually, you know, see and identify a lot of birds. … I’ve recently come to embrace my actual birding superpower. Because although I may not really be a birdwatching nerd, what I am instead is an ornithology nerd. And no, they’re not the same thing. This became clear to me last fall while out on a bird walk with my local Audubon chapter. We’d paused to enjoy a pair of Varied Thrushes—American Robins’ stunning cousins, which visit our valley in the non-breeding season—and as we continued down the trail, a member of the group commented, “I’ve always wondered how they make their song, with those two notes at the same time.” (Most accounts of Varied Thrush song describe it as a “single pitch,” but you can often hear dissonant overtones in there.)
“Well…” Truly, I hate coming off as a know-it-all, but I did in fact know how birds do this and he seemed genuinely curious. So …
I think that is me … field identification of species is fundamental to “birding”, but I truly don’t think it is the be all and end all of the business. Knowing the how and the why of birds (or mammals or plants) is a huge part of the interest and the pleasure of being amongst wildlife. Well, for me it is.
A digression on copyright
I make and share a lot of photographs here and on “the socials”. At the moment I have an exhibition (by invitation) of some of my photography in the town library. Sometimes I am asked, with some puzzlement, why I don’t sell any of my pictures and my standard reply is that … “All my images are made available on request, though I retain copyright. I am happy to provide you with printable files, entirely free, provided that you understand that they are offered for non-commercial purposes only.” It’s probably silly, but I am very uncomfortable with the idea of asking money (which I would have to pat tax on) for something I do for pleasure. In the past few days, I came across the following, which I think it puts it rather well:
“The act of giving away art is a way to retain autonomy over my work in an age of hyper-commercialization.”
Nishant Jain
Now … some seasonal birds you could look out for whilst out walking this week:
Red-bellied Woodpecker
The Red-bellied Woodpecker is a relatively new addition to the avifauna north of the 39th parallel, being a species that is historically found well south of Montreal. I believe that it was first found locally in the Arboretum in mid-winter 2008/9. It is not a particularly shy bird and welcomes food provided at feeders - peanuts and suet in particular. Small numbers have been around in subsequent winters and they can occasionally be seen/heard in summer too. Local nesting is now established and a small, but growing, population has been spreading each summer into surrounding suburban areas in search of territory. Look out for these beautiful birds whenever you are in appropriate territory - and check the range maps in eBird to see where the nearest sighting to your home have come from. In the Montreal area, visit the Arboretum, and look between the conservation centre and Chalet Pruche, or in the maple stands north and west of Blossom Corner.
Like most woodpeckers, they are not migratory, but if you are favoured they may visit your garden too in the colder months. Like several unusual bird species spreading northwards with climate change, they are quite dependent on human-provided food to see them through the winter - so put out quality food to attract them. Peanuts are popular.
Song Sparrow
There are always Song Sparrows around the region with most migrating back in mid-March. Having said that, these days there are just occasionally individual birds that return before then. A friend had one at her feeders this past week in mid-February and last year my first was on the 26 February, so look and listen. They will be seen and heard probably in or near gardens and in parks and wooded areas. Listen for their distinctively melodious song. They almost all head south in the winter but are one of the earliest to return in springtime.
Words … and a rather sad quote:
I happened upon this (by Sydney Michalski writing on Substack). I am constantly amazed at people who think like this. Simply cannot relate to them.
Suddenly, I saw a flash of red.
“Oh, was that a Cardinal, do you have those here?”
“Um, I don’t know. Was it a red bird? I see red birds sometimes.”
“Yeah, it was red, do you think it was a Cardinal?” I was still excited
Fully annoyed, she snapped, “I said I don’t know. I’m not a bird person. It was a red bird.”
Nature Conservancy of Canada
This is the charity that gets the bulk of our support … here’s a short video (just over a minute) that I am sure you will enjoy.
I maintain a parallel Substack that you might like … It goes under the name of Whilst Out Walking - a title that I had been using for a couple of months before noticing that the acronym, rather appropriately, spells WOW. It’s about images and appears each morning around coffee time. Sometimes I see things worth recording and occasionally worth sharing. Only photographs, minimal text. Usually "this" day, but always this date.
There is a link here and in the menu at the top of the page.
You know, I've never thought about separating the two - birding, and learning about birds...They seem to go hand-in-hand so naturally! You see a bird, you get all excited, you want to know what it is, followed by *everything possible about it*! 🤣 I'm very glad you have that super-power, and that you found it described by another enthusiast, that's so perfect :)
And thank you for sharing the quote from my essay - although it is quite sad, I think that sometimes sobering reminders are important, too :)
I ❤️ Song Sparrows! we have a pair of them that seem to nest year after year in the 8ft high Laurel hedge we share with our bird loving neighbor. By mutual agreement we delay power clipping it until the peeping inside has stopped and the fledgeling have had time to leave the nest. They all love thistle we discovered.