Day 4: bird watching
Today is Day 4 of #mybuffetyear. I received feedback from the CEO of Buffet Year that my writing is very factual so today I intend to #bobross my writing. Here we go.
Do you know that feeling you get on one of those Top 10 weather days? Where the sun heats up your neck but the wind is blissfully hitting your cheeks? The cheeks above the shoulders you big freak. :). That's what today was- it was a perfect 74 degrees and the sun has been out all day. Today is May 4, 2023, (May the 4th be with you) and it's the first day that I have worn shorts all day since September. Since today is Bird Day I decided my new experience would be bird watching.
I'm an absolute beginner when it comes to bird-watching. I've never done it before and typically it isn't something I would do if it wasn't for Buffet Year. I even Googled "How is the best way to bird watch" and I'm so glad I did. I found this website by the National Audobon Society and it had an article titled Bird Watching 101: A Guide For Beginners. It recommended getting the Merlin Bird ID app. Of course, I tapped that app. It was extremely helpful and super cool to use. I specifically used the Sound ID button. I want you to grab your best pair of hiking shoes and climb in my truck. We are going to take a little drive to Crow Hassan Park Reserve, which offers an uninterrupted experience to bathe peacefully in nature.
Imagine walking in the great outdoors on sandy paths through a prairie. At first, I kind of missed the paved trails that Elm Creek Park Reserve offers; however, this was so much more chill. I only passed 4 people over the course of 1 hour and 20 minutes. The sun was beating down on me and there was this perfect breeze. I came to the first fork in the path and there was a trail map and two birdhouses. I decided to keep going straight to try to find the pond that I saw on the map. I got a little lost at the second fork in the path. I just pulled up my picture of the map and just realized my whole orientation was off. I wanted to go to Prairie Lake so it looks like I should have taken the first right at that fork in the road. That's okay- I found a little swamp and finally found a spot where there were birds flying and chirping. At the first tree, there were 3 little birds chirping. I pulled the Merlin Bird Id app up and started recording the birds chirping. The sound recognition software picked up a Black-capped chickadee, Northern Cardinal, and Brown-headed Cowbird. The 3 little birds I saw were all the same and looked like chickadees. I continued down the path on this marvelous day that felt like the first day of spring. About 100 feet from the first spot I heard a beautiful symphony so I hit record on the app. This time it picked up an American Goldfinch, Red-bellied woodpecker, and Palm Warbler. The app showed a picture of the American Goldfinch. It is that bright, vibrant yellow and I find it to be a very pretty bird.
I had a great time today checking out a new park and going bird-watching. I walk 45 minutes or more on most days so it was nice to change up the scenery and to be on an "adventure". I don't think I will be a die-hard bird watcher if there is such a thing. What defines an avid bird watcher? Once a week? It's not an activity I could see myself doing once a month, but I would do it again because it is fun and free. I think the app really levels the playing field because you don't have to use a book and it is able to identify sounds. I am very interested to try out more features of the app. Thanks for going on an adventure with me today!
