Photo by Amy Clark Courtney, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology
Sure, some people scrambled on the bird-watching bandwagon during the worst of COVID times. Why not go outdoors, find some new creatures to relate to, and keep that six-foot distance (almost all the time)? For many of us, bird-watching (also called birding) has opened up new avenues of friendship, empathy, and caring — sometimes even with other humans.
Folks are still finding out about birds, which is fantastic! The call of the American Goldfinch never sounds like “potato chip” to me, but there are plenty of other species that I can identify by voice. “Quick, three beers” might have been my favorite mnemonic when I first started birding (see the Olive-sided Flycatcher, above).
Now I am very fond, in summertime, in Minnesota, of “Witch-a-ty, witch-a-tee, witch.” That would be your Common Yellowthroat, found in wetlands and lake edges all over the state. I can hear the little masked insect-eater, even if I cannot always see him!
I was encouraged to learn to bird by ear by a couple of bird trip leaders who have become respected friends. While on a Memorial Day Minnesota Birding Weekend this year, many of our group were using Merlin, a free app from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology with more than 6,000 bird species recordings. Except Merlin — like humans — is not infallible. An ordinary Blue Jay can imitate a Killdeer, for just one example: So it’s a great help but use with caution and, at some point, be ready to throw aside the crutch.
Still, a human likes to have tools, whether good binoculars, websites, or (gasp) books, to help them along the way to become better birds. Here are a few of my favorites.
eBird – Discover a new world of birding…
Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, online guide to birds, includes photos, songs, and similar species: Cornell Lab of Ornithology—Home | Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union M.O.U. (moumn.org): can sign up for Rare Bird Alerts; join to receive magazine and newsletter
A Birder’s Guide to Minnesota: A County-by-County Guide to Over 1,400 Birding Locations Paperback – December 20, 2022, by Kim Richard Eckert (Author)
Birds of Minnesota and Wisconsin Paperback, by Bob Janssen (Author), Daryl Tessen (Author), & 1 more
Local Audubon societies: St. Paul, MRVAC, Minneapolis, (Up North) Bee-nay-she Bird Council, on FB: (8) Bee-Nay-She Bird Council | Facebook
Many bird guides are available: I like National Geographic and Sibley; others prefer Peterson; some are photo-only, which I personally do not prefer. For Minnesota, be sure to get the one for the Eastern U.S. (if the guide divides the continent, that is). Keep your eyes in the trees (and on the ground) and go meet some birds and birders!
Allison Campbell Jensen 