What I've Learned on Tampa Audubon Field Trips

By Ann Paul, President

Ann Paul, President

I’ve been amazed at how much going on field trips to see birds and other wildlife with Tampa Audubon, the Florida Ornithological Society, and others has come to mean to me. And what I have learned along the way. So I thought I’d share some of my feelings, thoughts, and insights with you.

1)  Be patient. Trying to see small birds flying in and among leafy trees and in forests or trying to figure out which shorebirds I’m looking at among very similarly plumaged species on beaches is hard. But then when you get that – even if brief – look at a brightly colored warbler, finally enough to say, “Hey, I saw it!”-- it’s just so rewarding. When you learn that Least Sandpipers have yellowish legs and Westerns don’t – now you are armed and ready to be authoritative! And more confident the next visit. It’s an amazing feeling of competence. Very empowering.

2)  It’s not the destination, it’s the journey! When we are bird-watching, or should I say, bird-spotting, it’s important to stop and stay in the place where the birds are flying around you in a flock! Hurrying along means you won’t see the wild animals that share our earth. Stop, look, listen, and just soak it all up. So much of the fun is in the trip, the walk, the discovery. And, when you get to a good spot, perhaps you should stay there. “A Heaven” is hard to find, after all, whether it’s a bird flock along the walk or a season of your life.

3) Some of our best friends are looking for the birds with us. Really! Take some time to talk about birds. People have seen different birds, learned additional facts. By visiting together and “talking birds,” we all have so much to share. And people who do bird-watching are already self-selected to care about what we care about – clean air and water, protecting habitat, spending time in nature. We like that about them.

4) You never know what’s next. It’s not like Disney World, where the hippopotamus will always open its mouth as the boats come around the corner. We can walk on the same boardwalk and see something new -- nearly every time. We can walk ten minutes behind someone else and find birds, alligators, frogs, and so much more that they didn’t see. Our world is a constant surprise, and we need to be looking carefully or we'll miss it all.

5)  Details matter. What exactly was the plumage on that warbler – were there wing-bars, eye-stripes, what was the color of the skin around the bird’s eyes or the color of their legs? Feet? OHMIGOODNESS! Learning how to take in specific details becomes a part of other observations of what really is happening in our lives, if we would only pay attention, because in the end, the truth, the details, do matter.

6)  We’re all learning about birds, and we all know some stuff about birds. And we all build on the knowledge that we already have. People can id an eagle, robin, and a gull, but that’s just a start. The world of bird-watching is large enough so that there will always be something to learn, no matter how much we know already, if we will only be open to it.

7)  It’s okay to mis-identify a bird at first. I feel if you aren’t mis-iding birds, you aren’t trying hard enough to see them. Reach for new experiences, new identifications, new species. WOW! Learning is fun. But make your best effort in the end to make sure that you have the species right. It’s fun to look at the field guides and websites together on a field trip, talk the bird observation over, and decide together that’s what we all saw. That’s how we get better at this hobby, or should I say, life lesson!

8)  I’m a slow learner. I must study the field guide sort of a lot and see a species several times before I am sure that I know what it looks like. This slow learning forces me to really focus. On the other hand, I have the absolute JOY of re-discovering birds and being amazed at their diverse and unique behaviors and forms. How lucky to be able to appreciate these marvels of nature!

9)  Don’t be too determined “I am right in my id” and don’t be rude to other bird-watchers. I always remember arguing with a friend to the point of becoming angry about “Was it a Northern Cardinal or a Pyrrhuloxia?” In the end, it was two birds in the same small bush and we were both right. But it took us each a while to stop being mad about it.

10)  Looking closely at our old friend birds, the ones we see around us all the time, is amazing. How many blues on a Blue Jay? Mourning Doves have iridescent colors on their heads and necks. Some Snowy Egrets have yellow stripes all the way up the back of their legs. What time of year do Brown Pelicans have golden crowns – and why, rarely but sometimes, do some have red pouches? Just id-ing isn’t enough. Becoming familiar with our old friends is also very rewarding.

I think this is a short list. I think that you have suggestions you could add to it. Let’s talk about bird-watching.

If I do know anything, it’s that I do love talking about birds and bird-watching!