Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Neighborhood birds bring me closer to nature

Western tanager, one of my new sightings this year
(Photo credit: fotolia, julielubick)


I have always loved birds, but I would not have considered myself a birder until recently. Now, birds are one of my strongest links to the natural world.

As a kid, I had parakeets (Pepper, Penny and Powder – my young writer self loved alliteration), and I enjoyed watching the sparrows who would nest in the trees outside my bedroom window. I tried to lasso starlings with my jump rope, and I built birds' nests out of grass clippings, hoping a bird would take up residence in them.

Despite my young fascination with feathered creatures, I really didn't start paying attention to the sheer diversity of bird species until my husband and I moved to our current neighborhood four years ago. We live in a suburb of Denver, Colorado, that is nestled between the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and the plains. Our neighborhood also happens to be along a migration path for several species, so we are lucky enough to see some birds that others in our area don't often see. 

You might be surprised to learn that the suburbs are often home to the widest variety of bird species, as documented last year in this NPR story, which attributes that phenomenon to attractive backyard habitats and food sources for birds.
Western kingbird
(Photo credit: fotolia, spatesphoto)

So, when I made the decision to start paying attention to the birds more closely, I started to notice birds beyond the ever-present sparrows and robins. On my daily walks with my dog, which cover 2-4 miles depending on the route, I began to look for new birds. The more I looked, the more I found.

I also started to notice patterns, and now I anticipate the arrival each spring of a large migrating flock of robins (50+ in this group), as well as the bullock's orioles and western kingbirds who always seem to arrive last in the spring.

Most importantly for me, this practice helped me slow down, listen and be aware of my surroundings. It is a quiet sort of meditation for me to walk in the fresh air and sunshine  and it helps me feel more human.

You don't have to go to the country or the wilderness to experience nature (although, of course, I love a good hike in the mountains). In my suburban area, from neighbors' backyard landscapes to the grasses and shrubs of the parks and open space, nature is present and it thrives. Urban dwellers can also tap into the natural world by making use of city parks and trails.

Great blue heron (Photo credit:
fotolia, donyanedomam)
Year-to-date, I have counted 42 different bird species in my neighborhood alone. Some of the more exciting sightings for me have been an adolescent bald eagle circling high above our park, a great blue heron flying past our area (we don't have water in our neighborhood, so it wouldn't roost here) and a new-to-me sighting of a western tanager, but I love and appreciate each an every bird I see.


To learn more about identifying birds in your area, one excellent resource is the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. You can use its tools to ID birds, or you can be a virtual birder as you watch owls, osprey, hawks and more on the Cornell bird cams. 









1 comment:

  1. I love learning about birds that we don't see in this part of the country. That Western Kingbird is a cutie! The other evening, I was thrilled to hear a whippoorwill calling! I haven't heard one since I was 9 years old and it was magical. Great blue herons are a special bird to me as well.

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