As Spring has sprung and my ski season is drawing to a close I look to some of my other favorite activities to fill the void. As a long time birder and awareness teacher I have finally realized where the two intersect. I have to admit I am embarrassed that it took me this long but in my defense when I watch my birds I really don’t do a lot of thinking. I finding watching order come out of the chaos of their movements meditative. I am not looking to make any great synergistic connections as I do in so much of the rest of my life. The connection came to me in the more cerebral activity of trying to identify a new bird that has made its way to my back yard. The moment I saw it I was yanked from my usual bird watching revery to run to my computer and look it up on Whatbird.com . I was immediately humbled by the fact that I had not been the least bit aware of most of the key identifying factors even though I was able to recognize it as a new species. I stumbled through what I thought I remembered about the bird but came up with nothing that resembled the little darling that had visited my bird feeder. Frustrated that I would not be able to log her into my Ebird.org observations I vowed to to be more aware should she choose to bless me with another fly by. It was at this point that I realized that this was a great lesson to build on and one to share with others. Birding is a simple tool to build awareness as it allows us to tune into the world around us at many levels. At its most basic level it is perfect for helping children to begin being more aware. At its most complex it would challenge a master.
If you would like to begin using birding as a tool to build your awareness purchasing a bird bath and feeder will guarantee visitors for you to practice on (my favorite store is Wild Birds Unlimited). A simple walk through the woods will suffice as well. Start by paying attention to how many different kinds of birds you see or hear, then you can move on to identifying their different qualities. The sounds they make and the habitat they occupy are the hardest for me so I tend to focus on visual characteristics. Typically you can see what you need to with the naked I but I do love my binoculars. It brings the birds up close and personal and allows me to look even closer at their individual characteristics.
Start by being aware of the general characteristics you will need to identify the bird. This is fun because with your computer or a decent bird book you can be rewarded with a species name and all sorts of wonderful accompanying information about their lives. The key characteristics are The Color, The Color Pattern, The Body Size, The Body Shape, The Bill Shape, The Bill Length, The Wing Shape and The Tail Shape. There are many other attributes to be aware of as your skills develop but have fun starting here and let me know how it goes. As in every other aspect of your life, your awareness will be rewarded.
For more information about building awareness feel free to e-mail me or visit my associate Kimm Viebrock at Soaring Mountain Enterprises.
June 12, 2020 POST UPDATE
If you are like me, the quarantine period has been a wonderful chance to just slow down… as I slowed down, I increased my bird watching to the point where I feel I have intimate relationships with each of them. I have watched them set up their new homes, fledge their young and defend their territory. I have love having the time to really enjoy them. It has made me even more committed then ever to do my part to make things easier and better for them in my yard so we can continue this beautiful friendship.
I was introduced to a great post on HappyDiYHome.com
19 Ways to Make Your Backyard Bird Friendly
This wonderful guide has helped me get my backyard ‘Bird Friendly’ with easy tips to help our feathered friends… it also fits nicely into building my awareness because it points out that paying attention to what the birds are doing and why is a critical part of building an intuitive nature to guide you to make small changes in your yard to help make it that much better for them… so now my grass is a little longer, fresh water is always available and table scraps are no longer wasted… and regardless of what the future brings, I know my birds will stay to keep me company.