Did you ever feel that satisfaction when you finally lay eyes on that illusive creature in the yard? You know, the one making that unusual new sound that you've never heard before. That squeak, that chirp, that trill. Sometimes it drives you nuts for days. (Its usually a bird, but this applies to little froggies or shy insects too.) You may see a flash of feathers... maybe a glint of bright yellow. "Is that a... no, it looks more like a... You turn your head and only see a twig with quaking leaves. You run all the way into the house to get your binoculars to better stalk your prey, and its... gone! Ugch! Its like hunting, but without the murder part at the end.
Then, there are those days. The days when all the elements in the Universe are in alignment. "Wow! I think I just saw a male Redstart! I did! I did see a male Redstart! I've been waiting my whole life to see one! It was worth the wait." Check one more off the "Life-List".
I don't know about you, but once I've "captured" them either by camera or at least in my minds eye, they go on my cupboard door "trophy" list. I only write them down if I have positively identified them. Do you keep a list of the beautiful fliers that grace your backyard? You'll be surprised how quickly they add up if you do.
We are particularly blessed here in Virginia Beach. There are 90 species
on my list! 90! That represents five years of stalking. Let's see
how many little trophys your yard holds.
Here are the rules...
~If you can see them from your yard, they're yours!
~If you know who they are.(ie, male, female or immature [species])
you bagged 'em!
~Lay binocular enhanced eyes on all of them. What looks like a sparrow could be something much more exciting! Believe me, it happens to me all the time. They ARE little masters of camouflage after all.
Of course, you will need a bird book and a pair of binoculars. Check out
Amazon for that. My first good pair was Bushnell 8x21, a good start. I use Bushnell 12x50's now. (Whatever you do, don't drop them!)
More about books & binos in a future blog.
Happy hunting!
