My Brother-in-law, the cyclist, taught me this word. When you are riding bikes in a group, you take turns in the lead because it is the hardest spot and the others in the group can use you to block the wind resistance making pedaling easier – that’s drafting.
I think this happens to some extent in any sport – the offensive line opens the way for the running back in football. Birders who have seen a bird tell others how to find it. To some extent all birders draft and most take turns in the lead.
If I was a “lister” I would spend more time drafting. This morning as I walked what was a fairly productive spot this weekend, I saw nothing but Catbirds. That made me start thinking about the advantages of multiple sets of eyes. Most of the best birders in Rhode Island often bird as a pack.
This has its plusses and minuses. The big plus is you see more birds and big minus is it makes you a chaser. You could be enjoying the company of a not-so-rare bird only to be pulled away by your pack to look at a rarer one. I imagine it would rob you of some of the deepest pleasures of birding. Those moments when it is just you and the bird. That doesn’t happen in a group – the people always win.
I could have gone out again on Saturday after a lovely, but un-listing outing that morning. I did not. Sunday was a productive day, but I could have gone out again to find the Blue Grosbeak or the Grasshopper Sparrow. They might not be there when I go out tomorrow. I’m still drafting because of other birders’ reports I know where they are likely to be. But there is no certainty in birding, here today, gone tomorrow – particularly during spring migration. If the target birds are not there, I will still see birds, just different ones, maybe familiar one. That is not a bad thing.
Some birds I got while drafting…
Epilogue - This morning I went out to try to find three birds. Two birders sent me a map of where on the preserve they had seen these birds – one very detailed. Shortly after I arrived a birder couple came down the path. She has great ears (recognizes a lot of bird songs) and she heard one of the “target” birds as she approached. We went in different directions, but she was kind enough to share the fact that she found the rarest one. Then she found me and coached me on its song. We focused on the tree it was in, but I did not see the bird – but I will remember hearing it. Forever!
As I was still trying to see the bird (they had seen it in another tree) when she called to say they had found the sparrow. She was kind enough to leave sticks and a specific description of where/how to find it before she left, and I did. I’m not sure I would have found either of those birds without her assistance – I was seriously drafting. Then I found the third bird on my own, well with a little help from the map telling me where to look.
Honestly, it makes me feel like a high school baseball player who is being coached by Derrick Jeter & Friends. I’m lucky to live in Rhode Island where the birding area is small and the community is tight and welcoming. They all know each other. Now many of them know me and are generous with their knowledge and time. I am very grateful.
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