BIRDWATCHING—A LIFETIME HOBBY

By Russ Young, Handlan Chapter of the Brooks Bird Club

 

Perhaps the best aspect of bird  watching is that it offers an endless supply of challenges. I'm sure many of you know that wonderful old gentleman, Ken Anderson, who's retired now to North Carolina. When I joined the Handlan Chapter of the Brooks Bird Club, one of the first bits of valuable information he imparted to me was that bird watching is truly a lifetime hobby, always providing new and fascinat­ing learning experiences. In recent years, I've been trying to help pass along to beginners some of the wisdom that Ken and other club mentors generously shared with me.

 

I always encourage newcomers to focus on learning to identify birds by ear. In­vesting in a good set of CDs of bird songs will serve to accelerate the learning curve significantly. Having some confidence in what species a singing bird is be­fore you've even seen it is a real advantage. Bird watching during the fall is a challenge though, even for the more seasoned. Many migrating males lose their colorful breeding plumages, and make little in the way of identifiable sounds.  A premium is placed, then, on being able to make good visuals and knowing the dis­tinguishing marks that separate otherwise very similar-looking birds.

 

I like to spend time during fall migration at Charleston's Spring Hill Cemetery Park, which has many qualities -- elevation above the valley floor, a wide variety of food sources, and an openness that allows birdwatchers to maneuver freely in order to get the best possible vantage points. It's also just a remarkable place to be, offering so much in the way of history, botany, and panoramic vistas of the city of Charleston. I encourage everyone to include the cemetery among places you visit to enjoy a peaceful, relaxing walk. And keep an eye on the birds, too.

 

Fall is also a great time for observing the travels of migrating raptors (birds of prey). A trip to the Hanging Rock fire tower on Peters Mountain in Monroe County, where volunteer counters continually scan the sky, can be a rewarding experience. However, if weather conditions are not favorable for the birds' southerly flying, it can also make for a disappointing day as well. Still, it's exhilarating to see dozens or even hundreds of broad winged hawks soaring together like a squadron of aircraft. The occasional appearance of a bald eagle, osprey, or peregrine falcon is also cause for excitement.

 

Unfortunately, by the time you receive this newsletter, much of fall migration will have peaked for 2004 and begun to wane. But, there's still activity into October, so don't hesitate to get out. And then there's always waterfowl migra­tion which occurs throughout October, November, and into December. If you haven't spent much or any time in search of ducks, this can be just the ticket to get you really hooked. Thumb through a field guide and imagine how impressive it is to see a male hooded merganser, northern shoveler, or common loon floating on a pond, lake, or river. Keep in mind, though, that binoculars rarely suffice for viewing waterfowl -- a good spotting scope on a tripod is a must!

 

If you'd like to inquire about the Handlan Chapter of the Brooks Bird Club and join us on a field outing, feel free to call me at 925-5668.   We're a friendly group of folks who share many memorable times together!