Birding on VACATION!!
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PGBird
Jul 15, 2010, 1:55:56 PM7/15/10
to LMPBirders
Thursday, July 15, 2010
It's always interesting to me how various circumstances come together
at just the right moment to create a new opportunity. For example --
I'm just back from a two week vacation in California and Southern
Oregon! The main focus of the trip was to visit a friend in Central
California and to go to a huge quilt show (my other obsession) in
Central Oregon, but birding is a constant activity with me. I had
recently heard about a book called LIFE LIST (by Olivia Gentile), the
story of Phoebe Snetsinger, who set records in world wide birding --
she was the first person to see over 8000 species and her total was
pushing 8500 when she died in 1999. I didn't know much about her, but
decided to read the book for myself. It arrived a week before my trip
and I finished it on the plane. This isn't a review of the book --
you need to read it for yourself, but the one thing I got out of the
book was some new ideas on being better prepared for birding in
unfamiliar territory. Preparation was the key to Phoebe's success as
a phenomenial birder.
I always review the appropriate field guide before a trip but this
time I spent extra time studying the range maps in my Western Petersen
Field Guide, reading descriptions, and focusing on the important field
marks for potential species. I also found a "hit" list of possible
birds from a California based website and then compared that list to
the range maps to narrow down the potential for breeding birds I might
see. That was an important step as it turn out. Oregon has a great
coastal bird finding guide, but 75% of the species listed are
migrants. To my great delight the extra effort really helped.
Instead of trying to "learn" all the western warbler species, I only
needed to focus on 4. Instead of "learning" all the hummingbird
possibilities, there were only three potentially. As a result, I was
able to identify the birds I did see more quickly and with greater
accuracy.
I think I got several "life" species -- Tufted Puffin, MacGillvary's
Warbler, White-headed Woodpecker, Pygmy Nuthatch, Wrentit, AND Snowy
Plover on their breeding grounds! And while I'm not sure I'll
remember the songs the next time I hear them, fox sparrows were
singing everywhere on the section of the Pacific Crest Trail we hiked
southwest of Lake Tahoe and white-crowned sparrows were singing all
along the southern part of the Oregon coast. I was thrilled to have
face-to-face encounters with Western Tanager, Stellar's jays, and
bushtits! I'm looking forward to my next trip to unfamiliar birding
territory especially now that I've discovered a better way to
prepare.
You may not have noticed this program in the summer Parks Plus --
BUTTERFLIES AND PRAIRIES Daytrip on Saturday, July 24 from 7:30 a.m.
to 6:30 p.m. There are still openings. If you have yet to see a
central Ohio prairie in bloom, you'll enjoy this trip -- the focus
will be on the abundant flowers and butterflies, but you'll see birds
as well. Call 440-358-7275 or go to: http://reservations.lakemetroparks.com/programs/11824/
to register for the trip.
There is also still time to register for SHOREBIRDS ON THE MOVE
daytrip on Saturday, August 7. The shorebird migration is just
starting so this is a good time to learn more about this challenging
group of birds!
Don't let those binoculars get rusty this summer!!
Mary Huey
Interpretive Naturalist
Lake Metroparks
mh...@lakemetroparks.com
It's always interesting to me how various circumstances come together
at just the right moment to create a new opportunity. For example --
I'm just back from a two week vacation in California and Southern
Oregon! The main focus of the trip was to visit a friend in Central
California and to go to a huge quilt show (my other obsession) in
Central Oregon, but birding is a constant activity with me. I had
recently heard about a book called LIFE LIST (by Olivia Gentile), the
story of Phoebe Snetsinger, who set records in world wide birding --
she was the first person to see over 8000 species and her total was
pushing 8500 when she died in 1999. I didn't know much about her, but
decided to read the book for myself. It arrived a week before my trip
and I finished it on the plane. This isn't a review of the book --
you need to read it for yourself, but the one thing I got out of the
book was some new ideas on being better prepared for birding in
unfamiliar territory. Preparation was the key to Phoebe's success as
a phenomenial birder.
I always review the appropriate field guide before a trip but this
time I spent extra time studying the range maps in my Western Petersen
Field Guide, reading descriptions, and focusing on the important field
marks for potential species. I also found a "hit" list of possible
birds from a California based website and then compared that list to
the range maps to narrow down the potential for breeding birds I might
see. That was an important step as it turn out. Oregon has a great
coastal bird finding guide, but 75% of the species listed are
migrants. To my great delight the extra effort really helped.
Instead of trying to "learn" all the western warbler species, I only
needed to focus on 4. Instead of "learning" all the hummingbird
possibilities, there were only three potentially. As a result, I was
able to identify the birds I did see more quickly and with greater
accuracy.
I think I got several "life" species -- Tufted Puffin, MacGillvary's
Warbler, White-headed Woodpecker, Pygmy Nuthatch, Wrentit, AND Snowy
Plover on their breeding grounds! And while I'm not sure I'll
remember the songs the next time I hear them, fox sparrows were
singing everywhere on the section of the Pacific Crest Trail we hiked
southwest of Lake Tahoe and white-crowned sparrows were singing all
along the southern part of the Oregon coast. I was thrilled to have
face-to-face encounters with Western Tanager, Stellar's jays, and
bushtits! I'm looking forward to my next trip to unfamiliar birding
territory especially now that I've discovered a better way to
prepare.
You may not have noticed this program in the summer Parks Plus --
BUTTERFLIES AND PRAIRIES Daytrip on Saturday, July 24 from 7:30 a.m.
to 6:30 p.m. There are still openings. If you have yet to see a
central Ohio prairie in bloom, you'll enjoy this trip -- the focus
will be on the abundant flowers and butterflies, but you'll see birds
as well. Call 440-358-7275 or go to: http://reservations.lakemetroparks.com/programs/11824/
to register for the trip.
There is also still time to register for SHOREBIRDS ON THE MOVE
daytrip on Saturday, August 7. The shorebird migration is just
starting so this is a good time to learn more about this challenging
group of birds!
Don't let those binoculars get rusty this summer!!
Mary Huey
Interpretive Naturalist
Lake Metroparks
mh...@lakemetroparks.com
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