From 0 to 190 in 365 days; the evolution of a converted birder

Northern Harrier. ©Teresa Shumaker

It wasn’t too long ago that when asked about my opinion of birds, I would wrinkle my nose and say they are filthy, noisy animals that are nice to look at, from far, far away. I have always been more interested in mammals.

Fast forward to today where I am now an avid birder, go birding at least once a week, do volunteer citizen science projects, and keep a life list of what bird species I have been able to identify from sight or sound. (My number currently sits at 190.)

At this year’s bird count, not only was I a participant, but I was one of those birders who assisted the other birders with identifying species. I couldn’t help but reflect about how far I have come.

Flashback to the previous Christmas Bird Count in 2012; it was not only my first bird count, but my first bird outing, ever.

I grew up knowing about the birds my parents knew, but we never went out with the express purpose of seeing and identifying all the birds we saw.

This is a Northern Pygmy Owl. The photo was taken on an
iPhone looking through a spotting scope. ©Teresa Shumaker

In 2012, I became bird-curious and joined the local Audubon chapter. I joined to find a group of animal people, like myself – which is sometimes hard to find — and to do that, I had to put up with looking at birds.

After a few meetings, I became interested in the big bird count that happens every year across the nation around Christmas time.

Joining in a nationwide count – one that has been happening every year, for 114 years – sounded like the place to be. Little did I know that it was a birding marathon, that being ill-prepared for the all day event I would arrive home that night ready to pass out whilst standing. However, I found something I enjoyed doing that physical fatigue could not ruin.

Nope, it still wasn’t the birds. It was hiking all day, with binoculars in hand, talking about animals, and looking at everything that moved – mammals, reptiles, insects, and birds alike. (Although, we only counted the birds.)

It was exciting, and I was thrilled to be getting my nature fix. Over the course of the year, I saw many exciting things, rainbows over the lighthouse, a fog rainbow, the sun rise – which I wouldn’t wake up for on my own, I need adventure to pull me out of bed in those early hours.

I saw a skunk hunt crab on the beach and spent two hours with three humpback whales. I even got covered in whale snot!

Then, little by little, I started picking up how to identify different birds species. I would get excited when the birding experts would say, “I’m not too sure what that bird is.” (Which is a great cue that you will soon be seeing a rare bird, or hybrid, by the way).

I think the day I finally admitted to myself that I had fallen in love with birds, was the day I sat down to begin my life list. (For those that don’t know, a life list is a list of all the bird species that you have seen or heard and have been able to identify yourself.)

Now, making a list wasn’t a giant leap for me, I love making lists. The giant leap was that birding had connected so many things for me: my love of jovial competition, list making, learning, adventure, nature, meeting animal people, working on puzzles. All of those things now had a keystone joining them together, birds. In addition to those benefits, when you take a moment to really look at birds, you are rocked back by the amazing things they can do.

They aren’t just some dumb creature. They are what the line of dinosaurs became, they travel the world, put up with an amazing array of hardships, see in a wide spectrum of light – wider than us – and lack of light.  They migrate overnight, can sleep on the wing, have the capability to make a range of sounds that even machines can replicate, and so much more.

This Heerman's gull swooped right in front of me, so close
I couldn't get its wingtips in the shot. Birds are exciting to
photograph because they move so fast and in all directions.
©Teresa Shumaker

Some species have intelligence levels, emotional levels, and complex relationships that have rivaled those of mammals and science spends just as much time looking to birds for answers as any other group of animals.

When sharing these reasons, I truly heard myself, and I couldn’t hide it any longer. I am madly in love with birds.

I challenge every skeptic, if you don’t think you like birds, give it a year and see if they can make a convert out of you, too.

Just in time

Finally, it's finished! And not a moment too soon.
Click below to see my 2014 calendar in my new Zazzle store front.

Birds of Mendocino by SnapDragonstuff

Bushtit

Bushtit. ©Teresa Shumaker

Of all the birds I have seen, this bird has to be the cutest. It is super tiny, a little bigger than a hummingbird. It travels in flocks that will descend on a tree right in front of you, not caring whether you are close, and they forage by placing their body in some of the most comical ways.
My personal favorite is when they hang upside down, decide there isn't anything they want, so they just let go of the limb and burst into flight as they somersault in midair.

Hurry up and wait

Patience is a virtue that ran short by the time I got to the front of the line at the Virtue Distribution Office. So waiting makes me as twitchy as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

We waited almost a year to get our orders for our next assignment, and now that we have them, time is moving in slow motion.

On January 1, we will be moving to South Texas, and I am as excited as a kid on Christmas Eve.
Until then, I am trying not to have the entire house packed two weeks before the move. But keeping busy is difficult. I lack the focus to sit still for any long period of time, because I have the nagging feeling that I should be DOING something that involves heavy lifting and shuffling stuff about.

To quell the urge, I have rearranged the furniture, several times, cleaned and re-cleaned everything in sight. My home sparkles with unnecessary cleanliness.

The downfall is there seems to be a correlation between my impatience and clumsiness. When the first rises, so does the other.

Now I am trying to tow the line between getting stuff done and not knocking the house down around my feet. It is a precarious path, where sometimes I have to move intentionally, like a sloth, putting all my focus into one movement so I still have stuff left to move in a couple weeks time.

For example, I shattered a porcelain decoration while unplugging my laptop the other day; now I unplug things slowly.

Frost

©Teresa Shumaker

©Teresa Shumaker

 I wish I wasn't such a cold weather wimp and could get out more often to see the beautiful designs the frost makes. But it is hard to argue with a warm home, and a warm breakfast instead of piling on clothes and gear to brave the cold. Brrr.

I lucked out on this outing. There was still plenty of frost in the shady parts of the trail. I would tromp through, take some pics, then quickly retreat to the sunny portions of the trail to thaw.

©Teresa Shumaker

©Teresa Shumaker

Homemade kitty coat

Sylvia is now 11 years old and with this recent cold snap she was insisting I hold her, a lot. I finally realized that she was having a hard time keeping warm in our drafty apartment. 

I set off to find something that can keep her warm when I am too busy to donate body heat. 

I first tried heated rice bags, she thought the smell of microwaved dry rice was terribly offensive and proceeded to avoid it at all costs. 

I researched electric warmers, but couldn't shake the fear of an electrical fire. Scratched that idea. 

I went to the local pet store and found a nice foam bedding that is supposed to retain more body heat and redirect it back up to the animal, but my "Princess and the Pea" cat turned her nose up to it as well. 

I looked at buying her a jacket, but they only had ones for dogs and the arm slits seemed too small.

So I resorted to the next best thing, a homemade outfit. I cut the sleeve from a sweatshirt and fit it over her. Then I felt for her legs and drew a line where I wanted to make the arm slits. After a few modifications, we now have a kitty sweater. 

She keeps giving me looks that makes me fear she is plotting my emanate demise. However, she is no longer cold. Success!

I believe this look means, "You will pay for this, human." ©Teresa Shumaker.

Blue Whale bones

Sheila Semans, Blue Whale skeleton reconstruction project specialist for the California Coastal Conservancy, places a piece of the knuckle of the right dorsal fin. ©Teresa Shumaker. 

Ribs and spine. ©Teresa Shumaker.

Through the vertebrae. ©Teresa Shumaker.

Early last summer, I was given the wonderful opportunity to document the 73-foot blue whale skeleton as it was unearthed from its grave.
Four years prior, the young adult female washed onto the shore after suffering life threatening injuries from surfacing beneath a large ship's propeller.

Vertebrae. ©Teresa Shumaker.

 The unfortunate incident did lead to some positive science, however. Parts of the whale were removed for research, and the skeleton was removed and buried in an undisclosed location for natural cleaning. The intent is for the bones to be reassembled and put on display in the future marine science and education center in Fort Bragg, CA.

Until then, volunteers reassemble the bones so student groups can see them up close.

It is mighty humbling being so close to the bones of the largest mammal to grace our planet. It is second only to being able to see them in the wild, which I was fortunate to see this last September.

Their spouts (what happens when a whale exhales) are monstrous compared to other whales and dolphins.  From the moment when the spout first emerges to when you see part of the fluke, time seems to lag as what seems like miles of back roll, slightly emerged at the surface of the water.

The sound of their exhalation has a harmonic echo to it, telling of the enormous size of each lung. It reminded me of the sounds the brachiasauruses (brachiasauri?) make in the movie Jurassic Park. Truly majestic animals.

I would like to give special thanks to Sheila Semans who invited me out to see the assembled bones one last time before I move. Thank you.

Each bone is labeled for reassembly. ©Teresa Shumaker.

©Teresa Shumaker.

Through the spinal cord cavity. ©Teresa Shumaker.

Right dorsal fin. ©Teresa Shumaker.

©Teresa Shumaker.

©Teresa Shumaker.

©Teresa Shumaker.