How I Became a Birder: I Blame the Library for My Fowl Obsession

January 20, 2011

As I'm sure you're aware, Mid-Continent Public Library was closed on Martin Luther King Day. So, what did I do with my day off? Instead of staying inside my nice warm house like a reasonable person, I bundled up and went out into the cold and rain just to look at birds. Why? I blame the library. Now before you jump to conclusions about my sanity, please allow me to explain myself.

One of the perks of working at a library is that whenever the mood strikes me, I can just walk into the stacks and find something interesting. One day about two years ago, I was getting ready to leave work when I realized I needed a new audiobook for the drive home. Thus, I did what I always do in that case: I went to the shelves and started browsing. I settled on The Big Year: a tale of man, nature and fowl obsession by Mark Obmascik. Little did I know that this more or less random choice was the beginning of my own fowl obsession.

So, what is a Big Year? Simply put, it is the effort to see as many different species of birds in the continental United States and Canada as possible in one calendar year. Obmascik’s book follows three birders as they each undertake Big Years in 1998 with an eye on surpassing the record of 721 species. 

The level of dedication, money, and near-pathological obsession required to make a serious attempt at a North American Big Year record is staggering. The current record, achieved by one of the book’s subjects in 1998, is a mind-boggling 745 different species. To put that into perspective, consider that there are only around 675 species of birds native to North America! To get the additional species, one must travel far and wide to find uncommon accidental wanderers.

A funny thing happened while I was listening to this book. While I felt that the subjects of the books were perilously close to the borderline between enthusiasm and pathology, I found myself enchanted by the birds themselves. I’d been bitten by the birding bug! This is not too much of a stretch, as I am an avid amateur photographer with a lifelong interest in nature and the outdoors. I checked out a birding field guide, bought a pair of binoculars, and off I went into the world of birding. 

While I doubt I’ll ever attempt something as daunting (and expensive) as a Big Year, I set myself on a slightly more reasonable quest: to photograph as many different species of birds as possible in the state of Missouri. I even set up a blog to keep a record of my progress. Unlike Big Year competitors, I’m not limiting myself to one year, and I’m not competing against anyone. According to the Audubon Society of Missouri, there are over 400 species of birds for me to pursue, which should keep me busy for the next ten to twenty years!

While I enjoy birding for its own sake, I can justify my fowl obsession as a good reason to get off the couch, go outside, and get some exercise. All the camera gear, binoculars, field guides, and other birding paraphernalia make even a short walk a good workout. 

Even on the days when I can’t spare the time to go look for birds, I can do some quality birding just by looking out my kitchen window at my bird feeders. In fact, I now consider bird food such a necessity that I factor it into my monthly bills. Even though I have overcome the squirrel problem, I am still amazed at how quickly those feeders go empty.

Which brings us back to the beginning of this blog: why was I so eager to go outside on a cold and rainy holiday? I had received an email alert saying that a flock of trumpeter swans was at Lake Remembrance in Blue Springs, less than two miles from my house! The photograph above shows that I was indeed able to add the trumpeter swan to my list of birds photographed. 

In fact, the swans are probably still there as you read this, as this lake has the only open water for miles around. I’ll be back there this weekend, instead of in my nice warm house. Who knows what else might show up? Maybe that long-tailed duck I just missed at Blue Springs Lake two weeks ago will put in an appearance. Maybe I'll see you there too.

Your bird-brained blogger,

Jeff D.
Grandview Branch