My cousin, a friend and I snuck through two fences and onto a local farmer's property. We instantly saw a huge pile of freshly strewn hay next to the wall. I readied myself for a full sprint while the more "girly" girls just watched. On my way, the farmer came around the corner on his tractor. Seeing the two trespassers at the edge of his property, he shouted "hey, what are you doing?" Or something to that effect, I can't be sure because at the time I was quickly scooting up the ladder. I made it to the top just in time to hide away from view.
After concealing myself in the loft I looked up. On the other side of the hayloft there was the most beautiful and the largest bird I had ever seen. Staring at me with wide, unblinking golden eyes the creature, which I later found out was a Barn Owl, calmly assessed the threat I posed. Deciding the answer to be "none whatsoever", she remained.
Easily three and a half feet tall, she had a spectacularly hooked beak and bright yellow talons. She was magnificent! Scared that the farmer would do something horrible like call my parents, I quickly ran to the opposite wall and leapt. I was confident that the hay would cushion my fall. I leapt out the window without looking down. The drop took three seconds, which was just long enough to realize that Mr. Farmer had moved the hay.
Luckily I landed safely with no broken bones. I dashed off to the safety of my side of the woods.
This story illustrates precisely the difference between bird watching and birding. The first is passive while the second active sometimes, as was the case with my example, spectacularly so.
People everywhere are discovering for themselves what I did that fine morning. Active pursuit, goal oriented destinations, and planning can bring wonderful color into your life. Birds of all shapes, colors, sizes and dispositions are everywhere!
The best way to begin is with observing. When you notice movement quickly rotate your eyes then your head in the direction you pinpoint. Then once you have the target in sight follow this pattern:
a. What color is the bird's head? Is it a peaked crown or cap?
b. How big is the bird? Measure it out to the best of your abilities.
c. Are there any special body colorings or markings?
d. What is the leg color and are they long in relation to the body?
It does not matter if you cannot identify the visitor right then and there. You can easily look it up in your manual later!
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