Stand-still Birding

BirdNote® 
Stand-still Birding 
Written by Ellen Blackstone

This is BirdNote.

While the energy and momentum of full-speed-ahead birding [Roadrunner’s roar and beep-beep] can mean sighting a large number of species, there’s quiet joy in stand-still birding. 

          [Bugs Bunny pastoral music: William Tell overture.]

Pick a place—forest, field, or marsh; then find a seat that’s preferably dry; and blend in. Sitting with your back against a tree is especially good. Be still. After perhaps twenty minutes, birds accept you as part of the landscape, and go back to their bird business—eating, courting, feeding their young. Like this secretive Swainson’s Thrush…

          [Swainson’s Thrush song]

If you start with your binoculars held up almost to your eyes, you won’t need to make any sudden movement. Slow movement – or no movement – is the key. Perhaps you’ll spot a female hummingbird, flying back to her secret nest.

          [Buzzing of wings of Anna’s Hummingbird]

Some birds may be curious and come quite near, allowing you a better look.

This is not about logging species, but about close and contemplative observation — you become part of the birds’ world.

          [Mixture of birds calling at dawn]

For BirdNote, I’m Mary McCann. 

BirdNote gives you the sounds of birds everyday — and you get the sights as well when you follow us on Instagram @BirdNoteRadio. 

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Senior Producer: Mark Bramhill
Producer: Sam Johnson
Managing Producer: Jazzi Johnson
Managing Producer: Ariana Remmel
Content Director: Jonese Franklin

Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Swainson’s Thrush recorded by G.A. Keller; wings of the Anna’s Hummingbird by A.A. Allen; Dawn Song recorded by Martyn Stewart of naturesound.org; ”William Tell Overture” by Gioacchino Rossini (taken from “Bambi Meets Godzilla”, Marv Newland, 1969). 
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler. 
© 2025 BirdNote  May 2018 & October 2025 
 Narrator: Mary McCann

ID# birding-04b-2018-05-26    birding-04b