When I first started seriously birding in December there were 18 birds I could recognize at a glance. From a Blue Jay to a Great Blue Heron it was a pretty standard list. I could also identify 13 groups of birds – I could tell you something is a Gull but not which one of the 17 some odd species. I had a long way to go.
I still have a long way to go, but now I can identify with a good deal of certainty 118 species. Not bad, but I put Red-Tailed Hawk on the list even though there are times when a Red-Tailed Hawk doesn’t have a red tail. Then I struggle.
The other 78 birds I have seen in my quasi-Big Year I can’t confidently identify without confirmation or some research. I harken back to someone telling me it takes years to be a good birder and I have to admit that I think she was right. There are so many birds with so many costumes and so many sounds – I will be lucky to get to 200 at a glance, but I’m going to keep trying. No doubt I will make many mistakes, but it’s a process.
Zen Birding Lesson of the day: Be humble, admit your mistakes and learn from them.
Some of the new birds I can spot at a glance:
Whimbrel
American Avocet
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