Birding on Wheels

The further into winter we get, the more I come to the realization that being a birder during winter is rather difficult. Not so much for back yard birding, but for going out to other places in search for birds.

I started off my day as I always do which is staring out my kitchen window to watch the birds enjoy the bounty I put out for them. While I enjoy it immensely, I feel the need for something more. I miss the high I get when discovering a new species for the first time. The excitement in my heart and shortness of breath, the trembling fingers adjusting camera settings and joy you have for that one brief moment. Now that I am becoming more of an experienced birder, I have to go out and search for that fix because it no longer comes to my back yard.

So off to the cemetery I go which is covered in ice in the location that has the best birds. I get out of my car and slip and slide. The thoughts in my head start and I wonder if I can slowly walk into the deeper snow where falling on ice is a little less probable. I know right then and there that there is no way I am going to make it that far. The ice looks slick and unforgiving, the kind that makes you skate a couple of feet in horrid fear as you fall flat on your hiney and hit your head. I picture myself on the frozen ground in incredible pain as my shouts of "Help, I've fallen and I can't get up echo throughout the woods.

Feeling defeated and powerless against the elements I get back into my car and try and make the best of things. I can still bird I think, I will just do it in the comfort of my car. This is not something I'm used to. For me birding is about being outside with the birds and feeling the earth against your feet and the sun on your face. Being in a car means.....well.....being in your car. I drive around slowly trying to maneuver my way around ice and snow banks. The cemetery is very quiet and I hear no bird song or calls. Hmmmm, I think as I see some bittersweet.....I bet there must be some kind of bird around that area. Sure enough there was. A flock of about 10 robins were eating the bittersweet and trying to stay warm.

I also found a mockingbird eating rose hips all by itself. It doesn't even move as I take pictures of it. HA!! This is not so bad after all. The birds don't seem nearly as afraid of a car as they are of a human. Taking pictures is easier too because I can perch my elbows against the window to keep my hands a little more steady. This is wonderful I think as I fishtail around the cemetery trying to stalk a flock of Canadian geese down toward the river.

When I finally catch up to the geese, I realize they are not there, but a couple of hooded merganser's are. The problem is, that I can't get a photo of them inside of my car without some kind of fancy maneuvering. I park as close to a snow bank as I can and step into it. a few lesser scaup's take flight as they see me appear from behind the banking. Shoot, I think to myself, there goes that picture. I come up with the genius idea of using the snow banking as a bird blind and am able to get this lousy photo of the merganser. I am going to have to practice some taking photos of water with sun beating toward it because no matter what I did, it came out too bright.

All in all, it was an okay day. I didn't see my pileated woodpecker, but there is always tomorrow.