Reaching for bins, watching, reaching for bins, watching… that repetition of the same moves, over and over again, makes this blogging more like writing porn and not birding! How to make a distinction between the two? Or perhaps I shouldn’t? Many check the Internet for porn, anyway. So, here it is – my latest piece of porn birding:
One of my favourite local patches – the canal, lake and the forest at the outskirt of the city – is a fine habitat full of birds… well, for a city spot that is. The place is easy to reach, yet secluded, so a lot of couples sneak in there. But they are quiet and I do not mind them (I had been visiting it only in the daytime).
The other night I was there to listen to the owls calling. Driving through the darkness by some public utility compound and the windows of their security officer, I was thinking how I’d hate to have to explain what I am looking for, but, used to those lovers, he is not paying much attention.
Some time later, driving back, I find him standing in front of the gate, floodlight above his head, staring at me: where is she? What have I done? Dismembered her and buried the body in the sand?
One car is already parked in the forest and I give them more room, parking further away, turning the engine off and listening… for the owls, I mean. Soon, one more car comes – I am the only one alone in the car – stays for perhaps 15 minutes and leaves. There are no owls, so I am leaving, too.
Careful not to disturb the lovers in that parked car, I am driving with low beams only, until I reach the tarmac. There stands one lady of the night and it dawns on me what an idiot I am.
Did I mention that I often go there? And that those couples are a common sight? Only now did I realise that I am actually birding in a prostitute alley!!
But it is full of birds, really.
Photo: Kay Chernush for the U.S. State Department / Wikimedia Commons
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Reminds me of birding (even during the day) at Chicago’s Magic Hedge … renowned cruising spot and I learned to be a little leery of any guys trudging about on their own without binoculars. (But then again, as a woman, for once I wasn’t worried about myself!)
Been there this morning, too. Was alone and had an Otter running across the road, Black Stork, Eurasian Marsh-Harrier, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, White-tailed Eagle, Common Buzzard, my first Eurasian Golden Oriole of the season… What’s not to like?