Behind the Lens: A Birder Interview with Paul Poronto

I am so excited to bring back my "Behind the Lens" birder interviews, because, as birders, we so often focus on the birds but forget to highlight the amazing people behind the scenes!

Although I've only ever existed in the one birding community where I live, I have a strong hunch it's a diamond in the rough (in terms of participation levels, friendliness, communication between birders, the willingness to teach and learn from each other, etc.). It's like we're one big, extended, and now socially-distanced (😜) family who come together with the arrival of great birds.

My next guest, Paul Poronto, was one of my first "birding family" members and mentors. He's done everything from showing me magic on my first ever trip to Tawas/Kirtland Warblers; to selling or donating some of his birding gear to me at ridiculously low prices; to driving me around on Christmas Bird Counts; to giving me great birding advice (like checking farm fields right after a fresh snow for Snow Buntings and Lapland Longspurs; or looking for Vesper Sparrows in isolated trees in the middle of farm fields). 

Dickcissel by Paul Poronto

Paul has a blog of his own, where you can read about his birding adventures and peep his mad photography skills. Check it out later at porontosbirdingmacomb.com (tried to insert hyperlink and having issues, so just copy paste please!).

So let's get into our interview...

LBN: So, Paul, how long have you been birding?

PP: Since 1974. 46 years as of 2020.

LBN: Wow! That is a lifelong passion if I've ever seen one! How did you get into it/did you have a spark bird that ignited this passion?

PP: My interest in birds began when I was 7 years old in 1974. My friend and neighbor, Mick, and I watched Common Grackles walking on the lawn one sunny July day and noticed this beautiful blue iridescence on their feathers. We thought they were Bluebirds, but his dad corrected us. He had a guide called "Birds of North America," by Robin S. Chandlers, and he showed us that it was a Common Grackle. We used that book to identify all the birds in our yard, then in the woods down the street. When I was 13 years old, Mick's dad took Mick and I to Point Pelee. I was hooked. Mick and I still bird together.

LBN: I Love that your spark bird was a Common Grackle. So many people don't give that bird enough credit for its beauty. I also find it AMAZING that you and Mick are still birding buds. That's so cool! Alright, moving on, I happen to know you take excellent photos, so what advice can you share on photographing birds?

PP: I began photographing birds because I wanted to document the rare or uncommon birds I saw. However, I found photographing birds actually made me a better birder. I spent more time stalking the birds and studying their behavior. I paid more attention to the habitats, especially if I was targeting a specific species I wanted to photograph. The greatest thing about photographing a bird is that I forever have a visual record of that moment I saw it. Years may pass and memories fade, but the moment I look at a photo, I am taken back in time to that special moment I photographed it. It takes lots of practice to become a good photographer and reading and studying on technique. I spent hours reading blog posts and articles and then going out into the field and trying to duplicate what the really good photographers were doing. Yes, I am a freak about sharp images. New photographers must understand the exposure triangle: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Understand these principles and keep the sun at your back and you are on your way to taking great photos!

Ivory Gull by Paul Poronto (probably the rarest bird I've ever seen)

LBN: Those are really good points! Although my photography skills and experience are no match for yours, I can totally concur about how photos help with memory, ID skills, and overall learning. So, speaking of learning, let's talk about you as a teacher! What do you like most about being a birding mentor? Best advice for new birders?

PP: My greatest joy is seeing new people get into birding, and I love helping them out. It was very difficult in my early 20’s because many birders would not help you out if you were young. I hated their attitudes. One day I met Tom Heatley on the trail at Lake St. Clair, and walked with him. He was extremely knowledgeable and mentored me as we birded together many times over the years. Same with Rick Simek, a naturalist at Lake St. Clair Metropark. I swore to myself that if I ever got a chance when I was older, I was going to help every new birder who wanted the help. I started my blog for that reason - to show people where to go to find good birds. This was back before eBird took off, and so many people have told me how helpful it was to them. That is an awesome feeling. I slacked off on my blog over the last year as I took care of my father, but will be posting to it full-time in 2021. My best advice to new birders is take the time to learn. Get a good field guide and when you see birds, make notes on their features. Size, bill, shape, behavior, habitat, etc. My saying I like to use is “if you want to be a better birder, bird with better birders.” It's so important to be around experienced people.

Pomarine Jaeger (a real pirate) by Paul Poronto

LBN: Wise words, indeed. It's great how there are so many digital tools and online communities that help people confirm their bird IDs, but I agree that putting in your own research is key; using pen and paper, hardcopy texts, and your own observations, photos, and insights to not only know what you saw, but to know why you think it was that bird vs. some other bird. So let's talk birding during the pandemic - what are your thoughts on birding in these times?

PP: I have loved birding during the pandemic because I feel safe. I have been in healthcare as an RN for 25 years and this pandemic is real. I showed my wife a photo the other day that our birding friend, Leslie, took of several birders standing along the road looking for Red Crossbills at Stony Creek. They were all 6-8 feet apart and I couldn’t be prouder of my birding community for taking their health and the health of others seriously. Love this community so much!

LBN: Ah, yes, I was there too, and I felt the same joy standing with my birding friends.

Birders, Socially Distanced by Leslie Read

LBN: Now I want to go a little deeper, because these are the kinds of questions that really get at the heart of birding for me. Has birding ever gotten you thru any tough times? If so, how?

PP: Such a great question. Life is full of ups and downs: stress from work, marital issues, problems with your children, financial burdens, building a career or even finding one… I could go on and on. Once I step out into the woods, I am at peace. It is my Zen. Leave it all behind and become one with my environment. Its great to bird with friends, but doing it alone is my favorite time. It reenergizes my spirit.

LBN: I could literally not. agree. more. 👏👏👏 Time for my favorite question - what's the biggest lesson you've learned either from the birds or from Nature?

PP: I have never interfered with what I see in nature; never tried to stop a Cooper’s Hawk from grabbing a sparrow, or stop a hawk from grabbing a rabbit. It’s the same in our lives. I don’t interfere in other people’s lives. We all have to make our own choices and I respect that about people just like I respect nature. I don’t let peoples' choices effect how I treat them. 

LBN: Those are great policies, Paul. Alright, let's end on a light note. Do you have a favorite bird? And if you were a bird, what would you be and why?

PP: I do not have a favorite bird. I love them all. The warbler and sparrow families are my favorites though. And as for what bird I'd be? I'd say A Golden Eagle. I would love to soar and hunt for food. I have spent many hours watching them in Colorado, and they look like they have the best life.

LBN: Well, thank you, Paul! I'm sure I'll see you around on the trails soon. 

Snowy Plover by Paul Poronto (who is also the one who found this rarity at Stony Creek!)

I'll leave you with a few last thoughts about Paul, from my personal experience: 

• He has a dry sense of humor and quite the sarcastic streak. 
• He has strong opinions but open ears for others'. 
• As he explained above, he's a huge advocate for helping others in their birding journeys while encouraging them to do their own research and grow their birding skills. 
• He's always talking about his wife and 3 kids, with a mixture of gratitude, warmth, pride, or concern for their wellbeing. 
• His stories about the past are often hilarious.
• He's just one of those people who, when I see him on the trails, I light up. I look forward to either our lighthearted teasing and joking, or sometimes, that digging deeper to the heart of things, the sometimes dark things, the real things people talk about in between birds...

Me manning Paul's Jeep when we "weren't stuck" in snow

Paul shows up and toughs it out in all conditions