It is fascinating to see that the human mind can chase anything it puts its mind to and make it into a marketable commodity. So it is with an informal (until the movie came out) ritual that birders across the country follow. It is called a 'Big Year' in which the amateur to the pro gets into a whole 365 day ritual of chasing and recording all sorts of avians in a defined geography. Typically it is the continental 48 states in the union and the period is a calendar year.
The movie depiction (although a flop in Hollywood terms) that I recently watched was quite entertaining with a modestly funny cast that included Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson. Had I not seen the movie I for one would have been clueless as to this human endeavor of tracking down the flying species. As the movie goes to show the humans involved in this adventure spare no expense of course where the goal is to try to record as many of our winged cousins (distant but cousins nonetheless). The folks that participate visit all sorts of locales from popular to the remote in good weather or inclement. Of course one could see a Zen like passion here as well with the focus being to follow the path and not be deterred by the usual or the unusual.
In my own case I decided to see what I could accomplish in a month in my own backyard..I am not that ambitious when it comes to birds right now. Still I was able to spot 16 different species in a 30 day timeframe literally outside the office window of my house in Northern California.
Red Tail Hawk
Brown Dove
Myna
Sparrow
Blackbird
Red Cardinal
Blue Jay
Crow or Raven (not sure about the origins of the latter descriptor)
American Goldfinch
Western Bluebird
Egret
Heron
Wild Turkey (well I am cheating - this one was spotted on a hillside about 100 yards from the house on a stroll)
Seagull (errant ones flew by - a bit too far from the coast)
Geese
Ruby Throated Hummingbird
This autumn the weather gods cooperated as we took a family trip in the northeast to see six states that qualify or makeup what is known colloquially in America as New England. Mass, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Rhode Island (tiniest state in the union). The outing helped tally up the states we either lived in, visited or have worked in to 47. Guess which three have eluded this intrepid traveling family. Any rate the drive was all in about 1,800 miles and included some memorable geographic wonders or points of interest. Easternmost part of state of Massachusetts being one. Furthest drivable road east in Mass being another. Visit to all Ivy League schools (term harkens to a collegiate athletics conference and generally regarded as elite academic institutes of some repute worldwide) is another random bucket list item of which this trip afforded the chance to knock two more of the list. Dartmouth in Hanover, NH and Brown (and its sister institute the RISD - school f
In younger days, birds and chicks meant different things. Nice to see maturity in bird-watching..
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