Phil Brown, editor of Adirondack Explorer (a newsmagazine), visited Bigelow Road in the Adirondacks to try to find boreal birds a couple of weeks ago…and failed miserably. He should have accompanied Will and I back in February.
Once I looked beyond the annoying use of “bird brain” in the title of his piece that appeared in the Albany Times Union I was reminded of my first several times out birding. I didn’t know a single bird call beyond chick-a-dee-dee-dee and couldn’t ID a single species of warbler. I basically just wandered around in the middle of the day in the hot sun and pointed my bins at anything that moved…and failed to identify about three-quarters of what I saw.
Fortunately, help was available on the local listserv and from members of the Hudson Mohawk Bird Club. I’m no expert but I’m getting better. Reading lots of books and blogs about birds and birding has helped too.
So, Mr. Phil Brown, if by some chance you happen to google yourself and stumble upon this humble little blog, the next time you plan to head out looking for boreal birds, or any birds at all, drop me an email. I’ll be glad to help you figure out what you’re looking at, or, failing that, I’ll share your frustration at the ones that get away.
Very cool and hope you take him up on the offer! We all have had those days where we can’t find anything we are searching for! The best way to learn is to get out and do it!
I feel his pain. A couple Saturdays ago I ventured up to the Paul Smith’s Adirondack Park VIC and also stopped through Bloomingdale Bog, where I had upon very good authority that it is a spot frequented by gray jays. I just wanted to see a gray jay. I even brought some seed, having heard they are somewhat tame. Despite the treats, I was dissed. But I did see a palm warbler and 2 Nashville warblers (which I caught in a picture akin to “Where’s Waldo”). Still, no gray jay.
BTW, the VIC has maps to guide those intrepid individuals to a variety of boreal birding spots.