Some readers—possibly relatives of our writers—suggested starting a series of interviews with them. Who are these writers, and why do they contribute to the site without pay and with no real benefits (I’m still waiting for groupies to show up when I’m out birding)? We thought they deserved a proper introduction, so we started this series to find out.
Your Birding History And Future
How long have you been a birder, and how did you get into birding?
I have been a birder since 2021, when a Great-crested Flycatcher and his incessant pecking at our glass sliding door made me wonder what he was and why he was doing that. I fell deep down into the rabbit hole researching him and realized he was not the only bird out there doing interesting things. I was hooked.
Has your attitude towards birding changed with time – for example, did it get more intense, do you focus on different things now, etc.?
I plunged into birding rather quickly – probably from one day to the next. That Great-crested Flycatcher totally nabbed me. It was like a bolt of lightning! Suddenly, I was hyper-focused and obsessed with identifying every bird I saw. I looked at our local, common birds and saw them for the first time and delighted in their beauty and behaviors. Then I discovered the eBird and Merlin apps, and I have not stopped using them daily as a self-teaching tool and catalog of my sightings. Ebird helps me remember when, where, and what I was experiencing when I first saw the bird. It has also been a nice place to post my photos of birds and the moments I have had with them. Birding even pushed me to buy a better digital camera with a zoom lens, and I have eased into bird photography, mostly for identification, but also for that occasional great shot thrill with my little bridge camera.
What are your plans for the next few years, as related to birding?
I will be traveling a lot. If not primarily for birding, then I will be planning covert birding excursions and hitting hot spots if those trips are for consulting or something else.
If you had to make a living off birding, what kind of activity would you try?
I would try bird conservation research with a research organization. This would be quite a challenge as I have no academic qualifications in ornithology or hard sciences so my bona fides would be questionable. My enthusiasm would not be questioned, however!
Your Life As A Non-Birder
What do you do for work?
I am happily retired.
Is there any link between your work and birds/birding?
Not really, only in my approach to both – intense and relentless.
What’s your favourite thing to do outside of birding?
I enjoy painting, cycling, traveling, reading, eating, and making bespoke cocktails at home. These all revolve around my birding time.
How does your personal environment (e.g., partner, children, etc.) regard your interest in birds and birding?
My spouse tolerates my obsession and enjoys spotting birds first, but refuses to use binoculars or walk slowly to look for birds. The rest of my family tolerates my obsession and likes how I have channeled my intensity towards this interest. Maybe they were worried about what I would do in retirement.
Birding General Info And Advice
What are some of your birding tips for beginners?
First, I would encourage beginners to enjoy the present when watching any bird. Get to know your local birds and spend time just observing. I learned a lot from my local birds, and they are not the same. Follow your curiosity. It leads you down some delightful rabbit holes. Also, I would suggest getting a decent pair of binoculars that work for your eyes, because in my experience, this makes birding much more enjoyable. I like to see details.
How important are apps for your birding?
They are key tools, besides my eyes, ears, and field guides.
Do you have any favourite birding-related media (e.g., books, podcasts, websites, magazines, videos, etc.) you can recommend?
I recommend the American Birding Association podcast, 10,000 Birds, and Cornell University’s bird website. One of my favorite and much used field guides is The Warbler Guide by Tom Stepheson and Scott Whittle.
Are there any aspects of birding you would like to learn more about (e.g., bird families, birding destinations, people involved in birding)?
I want to explore as many birding destinations as I can. Also, I want to improve my bird sounds identification while my hearing is good. I bird with seniors. Some are losing their hearing and they can no longer hear bird calls that they used to hear. It makes me want to hear and learn as many as I can while I still have good hearing! It has also made me turn down the car stereo volume.
10,000 Birds
Why do you write for 10,000 Birds, other than for the fame and glory?
I contributed to a blog post about this, so I refer you to that.
What do you like and dislike about the site?
I like the layout and topics that the site covers. I am still exploring the site, so I do not have any dislikes yet.
What do you think should change?
Nothing.
In an ideal world, who would you want to contribute to 10,000 Birds as well?
It would be nice if 10,000 Birds could attract large funders to help the site continue to operate and evolve as needed.
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