Bird Watching

I’ve never been a bird watcher. I don’t really care about counting the number of species or specimens I see, nor to I want to travel just to look for birds. And yet, in my new home (we moved almost two years ago) and sitting on my lovely screened porch, I do enjoy watching the birds.

In late summer 2019, shortly after we moved in, I noticed the killdeer. I had heard of killdeer, but had never seen them to identify. My husband and I sat out on our porch and heard the sound of sandpipers—those I knew from my beach vacations. But these were not sandpipers, they were killdeer.

A little Google research told me that killdeer like open grass fields, and the golf course behind our house certainly qualifies. They scurried around the tees, pecking at bugs and screeching their presence to the world.

And when I walk in the neighborhood past lots that are still vacant, they race ahead of me with vocal warnings to their peers that a human approaches. I think they are leading me away from their nests, not realizing that I have no interest in disturbing their eggs.

Through this past winter, we had a hawk that hunted from the roof of our porch, or sometimes from the neighbor’s roof. I watched him catch several rodents and eat them on the spot. Sometimes he took his catch back to the roof, or to a tree across the way from us. All fascinating to see, if a little gory at times.

The hawk seems to have moved on for summer fare, but the buzzards have replaced him overhead.

And from early spring until late in the fall, we have robins. They perch on our roof or on the redbud tree out back and sing their hearts out. Sometimes I disturb them when I walk, and they, too, lead me away from their nests.

One day recently, I spotted a bright orange oriole. The colors were flashy and made me take notice. He landed on our grill, but didn’t stay long enough for me to photograph. I’m hoping he returns when my camera is nearby.

And a heron flew across the road ahead of me as I drove out of our subdivision a few weeks ago.

I’ve seen other birds as well—common chickadees and crows, bluebirds, blue jays, woodpeckers and owls, to name the ones I know. Now that the pandemic restrictions are easing, perhaps I’ll have to invite some birdwatcher friends over, so they can teach me more species.

But I doubt I’ll ever become a true bird-watcher. I still don’t want to traipse through muddy marshes or sit in buggy fields, waiting. The birds I see on my porch or when walking are plenty for me.

Are you a bird watcher?