A New Year for all kinds of Birding Adventures

  • By Bruce Glick
  • December 27, 2011
  • 317
                        
A New Year for all kinds of Birding Adventures It's fine to make resolutions this time of year but for birders its much more fun to think about possible birding opportunities for 2012. For me that means starting new lists for the year and possibly for some months. As for the year lists, there are all kinds of options – state list, county lists, Bobolink Area list, property list, and for the person with time and means, a United States or North American list. For some really exotic neotropical birding there are endless options in Mexico, Central America, and South America. Even the long-avoided country of Colombia is much safer these days than it has been for decades. For the last three years my wife Helen and I have been fortunate to spend several weeks in a warm place during February but this year we were not planning any such trip. However, recently my family surprised me with a gift of a birding trip for my 70th birthday. I will be able to spend at least a week birding somewhere in the southern part of the country in January or February. My family had already called my long-time birding friend, Ron Martin, who readily agreed to join me, understandably glad to get out of North Dakota this time of year. I'm now thinking about options. Driving to Florida has the advantage of not needing to pay for a flight and rental car. However, there may be reasonable flights available to southern California, Arizona, or Texas. For me part of the fun of any trip is the planning, so for the next several weeks I'll explore options and work on plans. Many other birders will also be planning birding trips for 2012, even if means only birding locally. Back to the lists - a list that can be interesting for individuals or families, including children, is a property list. Even if you just keep track of the birds that visit your feeders, you may be surprised how many different birds may be found in a year. Keeping an eye on the sky during migration, especially when the winds are right (from the south in the spring and from the north in the fall) can add some interesting birds to your property list. One of my favorite lists recently includes birds seen or heard along the Holmes County Trail . Biking or walking on the trail is a great way to get some exercise while seeing a nice variety of local and migrant birds. The miles of wetlands provide opportunities to see ducks, geese, swans, shorebirds, and even Sandhill Cranes. Over the last five years or so, a number of birders have kept lists of all the birds they encountered while not using any motorized transportation. Biking 100 or more miles in one day while birding certainly helps keep you in shape. It's also much easier to hear birds while biking or walking. And finally, some birders have taken the Christmas Bird Count idea of using a circle, 15 miles in diameter, as a defined area for birding during a calendar year. You can choose any area for the circle, which may include your home place, or a birding hot-spot such as Mohican State Park or the Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area. Finally, if you don't like the idea of keeping any kind of list and just want to watch the birds, that's great – whatever gives you enjoyment and appreciation of nature and specifically the birds. I hope you have a wonderful year in 2012. Bruce Glick birderbruce@yahoo.com 330-317-7798


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