Birder PapaRrazi
An Amateur Birdwatcher's tally
Out and about... Adventures while ridin' and walking with the dogs. “Going ridin’ in the car to the park” I carol, bringing Katie to an exuberant dance. I’m excited about bird watching. Katie and Maggie want to stroll along, sniffing, or march smartly around the park. They like to see other dogs and people. They like a little excitement. I enjoy their joy. The drive itself is full of delightful scenery. My sister is the driver and I am the backseat driver and we don’t bicker as much as we could. We’re much too busy looking for and counting birds, slowing to talk to cows and horses, and enjoying the views. Meanwhile, in the back, Katie would love to just dangle out the window, all limbs splayed, with the wind flapping her ears. Lucky for her we belt her into her bed so she can only stick her head outside. She tries to strip her harness and attachments so we have to keep an eye out on our Houdini. Maggie doesn’t like riding, but she likes being with her people so she puts up with it. What are some key factors in bird watching? Weather, traffic, time of day. The blinding sun can be as severe as fog and rain. Still, we like to do a lot of our jaunts in the mid morning. Not as many people are about at 9am as there are around noon. Fewer people are better for quiet stillness and less nervous birds. Both the dogs love to bark at the passing vehicles, including bicycles. But my sister and I like a quiet road, where we can go slow and look up into the trees, out into the meadows and fields, and over bodies of water for birds. Mid morning is a good compromise. This month of January, 2021 we went to Flaming Geyser State Park 4 times, Boeing Ponds, and a few local hot spots. . Boeing Ponds is near the King County Regional Animal Shelter, where we found 2 of our kitties. Right behind the building is Green River Conservation, a wonderful place to view eagles, hawks, and lots of water birds. But dogs aren’t allowed so we pull up beside the animal shelter and watch from a safe distance. There is a heronry that is active in February and March, but it wasn’t up and running yet. We saw no blue herons on our visit. The pond is actually about 2 blocks away, and can be a treasure trove of birds. But on our visit we only saw a single robin. Maybe next time will be better. The trips to Flaming Geyser were more interesting. Blue Herons, pigeons, mallards, mergansers, king fishers, starlings, crows, seagulls, Canada geese, Swans, eagles, hawks, kestrels, and a thrush all caught our eyes. We also heard the “weider” of red wing blackbirds, though none of them showed themselves. Maybe in February. There’s always something to look forward to in birding. Before we left our yard, and all day as I worked, birds partied hardy around our feeders. I didn’t see a single hummingbird or our towee, but goldfinches, house finches, house and white crown sparrows, scrub jays, black cap and chestnut back chickadees as well as starlings and crows came to visit. Sometimes we count more birds in the yard than on a 2 hour drive to and from the park. I cleaned all my feeders this month – something I try to do quarterly. There were articles about sick birds at King County feeders and I didn’t want to have any trouble in my yard. Luckily there was none. If you have feeders set up you may want to clean them well before spring. That sums up January birding in 2021 for me. Come back to hear about February at the end of the month. Maggie’s story. It starts with a car ride, which I don’t really like. Sometimes I enjoy looking out the window and feeling the breeze in my ears, but I’m not crazy about it like Katie is. What I like is the destination. What’s so great about walking with people who are birdwatching? The smells. There are trees, grass, posts, and pavement that carry all sorts of inviting aromas. Sometimes people will be grilling for picnics and that adds to my excitement. But they never invite me to join them and Pamela won’t let me invite myself. I’m not excited to meet other doggies, though some can be okay. What I love are the people who say things like “Hello, cutie!” Now that’s fun. But I don’t linger for chitchat. There are prey to be pursued… not the silly birds that delight Pamela. I don’t like a fast running river but I annoy Pamela by trying to drink out of puddles. Pamela will say “We have water in the car – fresh water, Maggie!” She worries about my safety. It’s exasperating. We also disagree about picture taking. There is no time, silly woman. I’m on a hot trail. Don’t slow me down! Still, we both enjoy our walks in the park, and we’re both usually ready to go back to the car after 20 – 30 minutes. No long, extensive treks for us city creatures! On the way home Pamela and mom will make a big deal bout the farm animals. I’m not too impressed, myself. I’ll curl up and take a light doze.
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AuthorI love birdwatching. It's relaxing and fun. Even though I've been birding for over 10 years I classify myself as an amateur birder. I plan to write a blog each month about my experiences. Hope you enjoy them! Categories |
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