Birding – Stepping Outside

Nature is for Everyone

In my efforts to get outside and enjoy nature, I regularly explore the woods behind my property. I run laps around my neighborhood. I have been known to stop in the middle of the sidewalk to stare at the sky searching for a bird, or peer awkwardly at a plant, post, or wall to try to identify an insect. Aside from occasionally laughing to myself about how ridiculous I must look, I’ve never really given these things a second thought. Recent events that have occurred here in the United States, namely the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, who was shot while running through a neighborhood and the weaponization of race against Christian Cooper while he was out birding in Central Park, have led me to realize that my ability to do these things without fear is an example of privilege.

The fact that someone would be seen as suspicious, or even dangerous, simply by being present in a space with black or brown skin is truly horrifying. I wish that I were a better writer with more eloquent words to share. I wish that I knew how to be a better ally. I wish that I had more answers. I don’t have any. But I’m using the few small words I can put together. I’m listening and learning. And you can, too.

This week, a group of individuals have come together to create and celebrate Black Birders Week from May 31-June 5 on Instagram and Twitter. I am not affiliated with the organization at all, but their public Instagram account states, “Recent events have shed light on the obstacles and potential dangers Black people face while enjoying outdoor recreation. Nature is meant to be enjoyed by everyone. During #BlackBirdersWeek, we are uplifting Black birders and nature enthusiasts to show that diversity in outdoor recreation exitsts.”

You can follow @blackafinstem on Instagram and Twitter to learn more about the events taking place this week, and follow the hashtag #blackinnature to hear from some amazing individuals across STEM fields. Black lives matter. Representation matters. And nature is for everyone.

Finding Joy in the Everyday

As an introvert, self-proclaimed homebody, and a lover of routine, quarantine life has not been as draining on me as it may be for others. However, even for me, the days and weeks of sameness, isolation, and uncertainty have taken their toll. I find myself battling my own thoughts, questioning my ability to make an impact, and feeling that I am stuck in a rut in all areas of life.

Fortunately, nature provides a much-needed boost. I know this to be true for myself, but more and more evidence seems to show that this is true in general. Spending time in nature is good for us, physically and mentally. For me, even just a few minutes outside helps me to remember that there is so much beauty, even in dark times, and that we never know what joys the future will bring.

Photo and description from the Merlin Bird ID app

A few days ago, I was struggling under the weight of a tough day and missing family members that I haven’t seen in months. After feeling particularly low, I decided to take a minute to rest on my back patio. I was treated to the usual chorus of bird songs. Then a song cut through the air that I hadn’t heard before. The unfamiliar trilling call was immediately cheering on it’s own, but also awakened my sense of excitement and curiosity. Something new to explore! My bird ID apps helped me to discovery that this new caller was likely a small warbler called a northern parula. A common bird, but one that was new to me, and one that I’ll be listening for from here on out.

It sounds almost silly as I write it, but that small moment was enough to remind me that what we are going through isn’t permanent. Each day is a new day, even when it feels the same. That day, it was a new birdsong. Last night, it was the familiar, soothing sound of a thunderstorm. Today, it was taking the time to count how many robins I spotted on my afternoon run (five). None of these were extraordinary moments, but all of them were simple joys. There’s a beautiful, living, changing world right outside the door. We just have to remember to look for it.

Getting to Know Your Neighbors, Part II

In my last post prior to taking some time off from the blog, I wrote about one way to get to know your wildlife neighbors in winter. Now, spring has sprung here in the Midwest, and since so many of us are finding ourselves at home more than we’re used to these days, I thought I’d kick off my blogging with another post about what I’ve been doing to learn about the creatures that share my backyard.

I am fortunate to have plenty of trees to scan for bird sightings

I have been taking advantage of the warmer weather to try to improve my backyard birding skills. I’ve struggled to get into birding as a hobby before, armed with my trusty binoculars and a field guide, but it can get overwhelming. This time, I’ve been taking advantage of two apps from Cornell University that have been game changers for me.

The first app is the BirdNET Android app, which analyzes bird sounds to identify the species (kind of like a Shazam for bird songs). While it isn’t 100% reliable, it is a great tool to start learning to identify calls, and is great for all the times that you can hear birds, but can’t spot them. This app is a newer find for me, and it has been so fun and helpful: I usually have a chorus of birds going in the trees behind my house, but can rarely spot anything. Even when I do, my amateur eye rarely has time to process what I’m seeing before the bird flies off again! I love that the app stores my submissions so that I can go back through all the birds I’ve heard and work on learning the calls. If you don’t have an Android device, you should also be able to upload audio recordings at https://birdnet.cornell.edu/ for identification.

The second app has been around for a while. The Merlin Bird ID app not only functions as a digital field guide, but allows you to identify birds by submitting a photo, or by answering questions in the Bird ID Wizard. It also allows you to simply look through bird species in your area, and provides natural history, photo galleries, and audio libraries. You can read more about this app here: https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/. It is available on both Apple and Android devices.

In recent weeks, I was able to identify blue jays, cardinals, northern flickers, and a red-bellied woodpecker both through the BirdNET app and by visual ID. The BirdNET app also identified calls of Carolina wrens, white-breasted nuthatch, and American goldfinch.

If you try these out, let me know what birds you are seeing and hearing!