Origins and Stories

It's been a while since I've posted (a while being a bit of an understatement), and for that I apologize. I'm also kind of apologizing to myself, for while I always find time to attend to my professional writing endeavors, this project, my personal project, falls to the side.

I spent quite a while (like way too long) considering what my next topic should be:

• End-of-year recap for 2017?
• New birds seen in 2018?
• Birder interview?
• Update on my nature photo journal?

I tossed ideas back and forth, even starting a few drafts, but would inevitably sidetrack and abandon each attempt. After a whole bunch of this, I realized I was spending way too much time worrying about what to write instead of just writing (which seems to be a classic writers' problem, doesn't it🤣).

When I loosened my grip on the outcome, the topic finally came.

When, why and how did I become a birder?

I've always appreciated birds, but until a few years ago I didn't know much about them: how many species we have locally, what they're named, how they sound - you get the gist. I was a nature lover but not yet a bona fide bird nerd.

That all began to change the first time I saw a Cedar Waxwing, a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, then other birds I'd never seen before. I wondered,

    How could I coexist with such beautiful creatures and not even know they're there?

    Is it possible to find them again? 

    And, What else is out there for me to discover?

Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus)
Don't judge the lack of rosy breast; this is a female and she's beautiful in her own right😁

After seeing these birds and asking these questions, I embarked on a mission to pay more attention. I searched more so I found more; noticed more, so I discovered more. I bought my first field guide (a Peterson if you're curious) and started making little check marks next to the birds I saw - my first official Life List.

I took the next step in my birding journey during summer of 2014; but not without help. You see, there's this magical thing about my partner, Jason, where he seems to always lead me toward the things I cherish most. It's never in a forced way but more like a soft nudge in the right direction. It's like he sees sparks in me that I don't see, and helps me find substance upon which to ignite my inner fire.

In this case, we found that substance at Red Oaks Nature Center during a seminar on how to use eBird. Jason was the one who discovered the event and suggested we go. I remember that night vividly, sitting at Red Oaks learning about eBird; savoring corny "birder jokes" I didn't yet understand, because I knew someday I would. I was excited and intrigued to learn about this new way to track my sightings and learn more about the birds around me. In case you don't know, eBird is an online birding community created by Cornell Lab of Ornithology to collect sightings from birders all across the globe. Anyone can use it to record sightings, search for birds nearby, look at historical data, and access articles and other resources (click here to set up your own eBird account!).

♥ Jason hand-feeding a White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) ♥

I opened my eBird account that summer and haven't stopped birding since (and I mean that pretty literally. I'm basically always birding except when I'm inside with no windows, thinking about birds 🤣). This passion of mine is so pervasive and persistent, it's hard to believe it started just a few years back - but it's true. What was once a vague inkling now has life of its own, and guides me through my days.

Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) on Jason's hand. Life is good.

This seems like a good time to mention one last thing. I recently uncovered stacks and stacks of my old diaries. While reading through them, I was surprised to find so many references to birds. I'd forgotten how long ago my appreciation for them started, stretching way back into childhood. Those days, I didn't know the science nor specifics of birds, but the Love was clearly there. I wrote about birds with a sense of admiration and awe I still feel today. It was within a loving space those early seeds took hold; then much later, and again fueled by Love, my passion for birds would blossom.

Here's a few photos of those old diary pages, in order from oldest to most recent:

Age 6

Age 6 (I'm thinking this is a Cardinal and a
Canada Goose but can't be certain)

Age 13 (I'm impressed with this one, and some day need to figure out what birds these were)

Age 13

Age 14

Age 21

Age 23 (Okay, so this one isn't very accurate
in terms of  bird migration timing, but hey, you get the point 🤣)

And one year after this last note, I sat inside Red Oaks Nature Center, becoming a bona fide birder.

Happy birding!! (')< ♫
Love,
Little Bird Nerd

My Spark Bird, the Cedar Waxwing

Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum). 

The bird colored by the paint of sunsets, with purples and reds and a tail dipped in bright yellow.

 

Photo courtesy Huevos Rancheros (March 15, 2010)

I remember when I first noticed this avian masterpiece, just a little over a year ago. This bird was art; even the crest on its head resembled a paintbrush.

A month or so later I would first hear the term Spark Bird, along with a litany of terms used fluently within the birding community. A few months after this, I would be fluent in that language too, but that’s a different story.

So what is a Spark Bird, exactly? This is that certain bird species that ignites within a person a spark and passion for bird watching (or birding, as we say).

Ken Keffer asks, “Do you remember the moment you were first fully captivated by nature? Can you pinpoint the split second that changed you from a casual observer to someone passionate about the outdoors?” He later says, “Spark birds ignite curiosity and fuel the desire to learn more about nature, leading you to a lifetime of birdwatching.” See Ken’s article, “Spark Birds: Learning to LoveBirdwatching”

After first seeing the colorful Cedar Waxwing (usually surrounded by other waxwings, making their characteristic high buzzy/buggy sounds), I began to notice more of them, more frequently. Cedar Waxwings became a symbol of the spirit of the start of my birding journey. That spirit is one that continues to guide me; it is one of gratitude and constant wonder.

As William Butler Yeats says, 

 “The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.”

Today, my senses have sharpened. I can pick out the calls of waxwings, trilling out across summer evenings. I can read their silhouettes amid trees on the sides of highways. I can sometimes even predict which trees they’ll flock to, especially the short, berry-filled kinds you find in parking lots sometimes. I can recall the waxwing flight pattern as it hover attacks insects in mid-air, retreating back to exposed branch perches.

One day a complete stranger was walking by in the woods as I observed a Cedar Waxwing above me. I witnessed the man scanning the branches so I pointed and gave instructions, guiding his line of sight. I saw his face change and alight when he found the magical bird; then he looked at me with appreciation. I felt like I had passed along something meaningful that day.

How about you?

Do you have a spark bird?

Share your stories with me!