View Full Version : Birding... Anyone?
Probably sounds kind of funny to be asking a bunch of hard core “gun guys” about birding, but does anyone partake?
Admittedly I’ve always made fun of “birders” and birding but my wife set out some new bird feeders around the house a few weeks ago and about the same time the state fish and game department’s most recent newsletter was about songbirds and birding. Since then I’m kinda of getting into it. I live in a small mountain town and the migratory birds are starting to make their way up. I downloaded the Cornell School of Ornithology app for bird ID watching and it’s been quite enjoyable and fun.
Frankly, my life is full is stress and topped with all the BS from the last year+, and as I approach 50, finding enjoyment in simple things like this is helpful. I never thought watching a Mountain Chickadee eat out of a bird feeder or an American Robin build a nest, or learn the songs and ID each bird I hear, would be so cool. We have some great wildlife preserves and marshes in the area and I believe I’ll expand my new birding horizons this summer...
Go ahead and poke fun but anyone else?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Not funny at all. Gun Guy Of All Gun Guys Pat McNamara is a HUGE birder.
I have been getting into it more and more.
Well, Pat Mac is into bird watching so that should set the bar on the 'manliness' factor.
I like to dabble in it, though I'm not nearly as knowledgable as some guys I know. All of them are outdoorsmen, some of them have been into it for well over 30 years. I've been banding with them a few times and there was a weird kind of disconnect to watch guys so delicately un-snare a bird from the nets then just rip its head off because they are predators to other songbirds. Cowbirds are terminated with extreme prejudice.
I think much of the interest comes from spending time outdoors and simply being interested in the world around oneself. My involvement is mostly limited to learning the birds that frequent where we are, out in the country. Maybe one day I'll go out in search of finding specific birds, but currently time doesn't allow and I can find my calm just by watching from my yard.
ETA - slow on the draw on the Pat Mac comment
Not really a “birder” by the traditional sense but I do enjoy watching birds. I put a birdfeeder in our front yard last year and my girls get a huge kick out of standing at the window and watching “their cardinal” eat out of the feeder. And being a duck hunter I love to watch waterfowl anytime of day but especially the 5 to 10 minutes before shooting hours.
FromMyColdDeadHand
04-21-21, 07:54
I flip people the bird all the time.
Not funny at all. Gun Guy Of All Gun Guys Pat McNamara is a HUGE birder.
I have been getting into it more and more.
Birding with PatMac seems about like hunting deer with the Kool-Aide mascot. A lot of "Oh, Yeahs" making it weird.
Birding with PatMac seems about like hunting deer with the Kool-Aide mascot. A lot of "Oh, Yeahs" making it weird.
LOL, yeah...that would weird. "Pat, you're a 10, bro...I need you at a six or seven..."
Ha ha.
I didn’t know that about Mac. I took his TAPS class a hand full of years ago and loved it.
I can not only hear the “Oh, yeahs” but I can I hear the “ready, ready, break...get some...”
I flip people the bird all the time.
Birding with PatMac seems about like hunting deer with the Kool-Aide mascot. A lot of "Oh, Yeahs" making it weird.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I saw your post and thought, I love to dove and quail hunt. I guess my read was wrong, but I live in a Bird sanctuary, they are going crazy every morning and its nice to hear them. We have multiple hummingbirds that are cool to watch. They fly like an alien ship, so fast left right up down...light speed. Very cool birds. If you have not seen them move about, its pretty cool.
PB
I do a different kind of birding. I take a pair of Harris' hawks out hunting for rabbits nearly every day for 6 months a year. This entails going to areas with dense rabbit populations, turning the birds loose, and hiking around rough terrain for several miles trying to put the birds in good position to make a catch. We work as a team. The hawks are a little over a pound, and working together, we take down 6-7 pound jackrabbits.
This is a lot of time spent out in nature. My birds generally only go for rabbits and ignore other birds and animals in the area. Frequently they will take a high perch some distance from me, and I'll be walking alone. I see tons of other birds and animals out in the field, and the whole experience is HIGHLY enjoyable. Even on the rare day we don't bring home a rabbit or two, it was still an amazing day in the field. Every single outing is an adventure. Never know what you will see that day or what will happen. During this time, I've greatly expanded my knowledge of the local flora and fauna, including birds.
Every once in a while, someone will ask me what I'm doing walking around out in the bushes. I motion toward the birds and say, "Bird watching."
I apologize if this was too far off your topic, but what I'm getting at is that I totally understand, and share, your fascination and appreciation of your local bird and wildlife populations.
Frankly, my life is full is stress and topped with all the BS from the last year+, and as I approach 50, finding enjoyment in simple things like this is helpful. I never thought watching a Mountain Chickadee eat out of a bird feeder or an American Robin build a nest, or learn the songs and ID each bird I hear, would be so cool. We have some great wildlife preserves and marshes in the area and I believe I’ll expand my new birding horizons this summer...
Go ahead and poke fun but anyone else?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Poke fun? If we dont find wonder and take pleasure in the world around us, why are we here?
To be honest, I get more pleasure from birds now than I did when I was younger.
Andy
I quit "birding" when I got married.
Poke fun? If we dont find wonder and take pleasure in the world around us, why are we here?
To be honest, I get more pleasure from birds now than I did when I was younger.
Andy
I see what you’re saying. I’ve fished and hunted my entire life (mostly flyfish now) and the enjoyment of just being out in the woods is what it’s all about.
I apologize if this was too far off your topic, but what I'm getting at is that I totally understand, and share, your fascination and appreciation of your local bird and wildlife populations.
No apologies necessary. We have a local guy here who’s a falconer. I’ve talked to him many times about his hobby. What you do is some cool stuff and the connection you have with your birds is amazing.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I’m not a hardcore birder in that I won’t drive six hours to get a glimpse of some rare warbler or something but I do enjoy birds and over the years have picked up a lot of knowledge about them and have become much better at identifying the different species both visually and via their songs.
Even when I was a young kid I was kind of a nerd for wildlife and nature and that continued into adulthood. The expansion of my bird knowledge over the last decade or so is just the logical progression of that I think.
Send it...
04-23-21, 10:05
Enjoy taking high quality photos of birds of all types. Some good pics over the years. Also enjoy glassing bids.
I saw your post and thought, I love to dove and quail hunt. I guess my read was wrong, but I live in a Bird sanctuary, they are going crazy every morning and its nice to hear them. We have multiple hummingbirds that are cool to watch. They fly like an alien ship, so fast left right up down...light speed. Very cool birds. If you have not seen them move about, its pretty cool.
PB
Ha ha. Dove hunting is my favorite wing shooting. Nothing better then group after group of doves coming through and you can’t load the shotgun fast enough. I know our dove hunting “up north” is nothing like you have down there though.
We do get hummers that migrate up here in the summer. In fact, we’re going to hang a feeder out for them too. They are incredible. I love the sound they make as they whip by too.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I'm not a birder but you can put me in the hummingbird camp. I put out a couple feeders and find great joy in watching them. They're fantastic.
WillieThom
04-23-21, 17:32
We’ve got a family of Red-Shouldered Hawks I have been watching for a year or two. Their nest is just about 300 meters east of our back porch in a wooded area that has a few acres of fields on the other side and our residential neighborhood on this side.
And then every now and again, I’ll hear either a Great-Horned Owl or a Barred Owl at night or during the wee hours. I’ve spotted the Bard Owl a couple of times, but one or the other used to be around quite frequently until the hawks started nesting nearby. Since then, it’s rare to hear Great-Horned Owls and though I do still see or hear a Barred Owl semi-regularly, it’s getting more rare, as well.
I’ve actually read that once Red-Shouldered Hawks migrate for the season, a lot of times Barred Owls will take over their nests so that will be interesting to see if it happens later this year.
But yeah. I’m into birds a little. Even if it is just in my own little world.
It is something I've always been interested in, especially since I've been in many regions of the world and found different species and their habits fascinating. Many times when I am out in the woods, following game trails and looking for signs of elk and deer I sit and watch the birds for a bit. Today, at my job site, I saw what I think is a juvenile falcon of some sort, but I don't know enough about falcons or hawks to identify it. I'm really curious now, because it solves a mystery- remains of pigeons have been showing up lately and most people think its from feral cats.
Today, at my job site, I saw what I think is a juvenile falcon of some sort, but I don't know enough about falcons or hawks to identify it. I'm really curious now, because it solves a mystery- remains of pigeons have been showing up lately and most people think its from feral cats.
Look at the eye. Falcons all have a malar stripe. A dark stripe/bar that runs through the eye. If no stripe then its a hawk or Goshawk. Wouldn't be a juvie this time of year. Eggs are either not quite hatched yet, or just hatching now. Females tend to stay on the nest in the early days after babies hatch and the males do most of the hunting. Males are 33% smaller than the females, and that is why I suspect you thought it was a juvenile. Because of the smaller size. Babies are full size about 12 weeks after hatching, so a 12 week old female will be a third larger than her adult father.
All flighted birds develop that fast after hatching. This is why most people who haven't raised pigeons think they've never seen a baby pigeon.
Look at the eye. Falcons all have a malar stripe. A dark stripe/bar that runs through the eye. If no stripe then its a hawk or Goshawk. Wouldn't be a juvie this time of year. Eggs are either not quite hatched yet, or just hatching now. Females tend to stay on the nest in the early days after babies hatch and the males do most of the hunting. Males are 33% smaller than the females, and that is why I suspect you thought it was a juvenile. Because of the smaller size. Babies are full size about 12 weeks after hatching, so a 12 week old female will be a third larger than her adult father.
All flighted birds develop that fast after hatching. This is why most people who haven't raised pigeons think they've never seen a baby pigeon.
Excellent feedback, thank you. My glimpse of the bird was brief, and it appeared smaller than other hawks or falcons I've seen. It was also from 50+ ft away, and the bird went to ground between outbuildings when I came around the corner, nearly invisible amongst the gravel. I found it beneath our cooling towers, and it flew low along the ground, landing a dozen yards away. At that point it went to ground, since it was in a horsehoe of outbuildings. I expected to just lift off and fly away- unsure if it was injured or instinctively staying low to keep itself from getting picked off by other birds. It might have been a kestrel,based upon a quick search for hawks and falcons known in my area. I am certainly intrigued, and I plan to scout that part of our facility a bit more discretely now that we might have a pigeon hunter taking up residency. And if so, this bird is welcome to stay.
https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/american-kestrel
eightmillimeter
05-07-21, 21:20
Thanks for the tip on the Cornell ap! We moved out to the country a couple years ago and never really paid attention to birds until last year. Built some feeders last year. Did a new garden this year to try and get more hummingbirds. It’s actually been neat paying attention to everything that comes by.
Where I’m at the Orioles just started showing up again, they are our favorite.
Sure. It’s a pretty good source.
It’s been fun paying attention to all the new birds migrating north. Starting to see a Western Tanager or two making an appearance which is not a for sure thing each year. Check out that bird if you like the orioles.
It’s also been fun playing a particular song from the app and having that species respond. Like bugling for elk!
Thanks for the tip on the Cornell ap! We moved out to the country a couple years ago and never really paid attention to birds until last year. Built some feeders last year. Did a new garden this year to try and get more hummingbirds. It’s actually been neat paying attention to everything that comes by.
Where I’m at the Orioles just started showing up again, they are our favorite.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
titsonritz
05-11-21, 18:11
Watching birds is a favorite pass time...kicking back in the garage or out in the yard, firing up the BBQ, drinking a few beers and watch them do their thing. Northern Cardinals are awesome against the snow. Love it when the hawks swoop in and take shit out, it's worth firing up the brush hog just to watch them follow the tractor around. I think “gun guys” appreciate wildlife in general.
My favorite class in College was Ornithology. It wasn't a very popular elective though as they were only 2 of us enrolled for that semester. We went out birding at least 2 times every week.
Leaveammoforme
05-11-21, 20:07
Birder specifically?...No.
Can appreciate nature without killing something? Absolutely.
Took both of these pictures recently
https://i.postimg.cc/90VMVZ6h/20210504-174045.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/7hPm8tbp/20210509-162941.jpg (https://postimg.cc/mzqQ7wYw)
Heard my first nighthawk (in a dive) of the year the other evening while sipping whiskey. Good stuff.
kaiservontexas
05-11-21, 21:24
My understanding of those of us in the gun culture are typically very much nature and conservation oriented.
I have enjoyed Audubon’s works. Yes I know he killed many of his subjects to paint them, but today we have digital cameras. I have thought about bird watching. I do have a blue jay living near by, and the blue loves to feast off my neighbor’s garden, plus the squirrels. Mockingbirds are everywhere, but that goes with being the state bird. I saw a hawk the other day. I have no clue what type. I only noticed him because of the shadow, which was quite large. I see blue heroins and cranes quite often. Out of all the birds I find hummingbirds to be the most interesting.
Anyway, enjoy your new hobby.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.