Birders and their Special Places

BirdNote^®

Birders and their Special Places

Written by Ellen Blackstone

This is BirdNote!
Some people specialize in learning about a particular bird – the Peregrine Falcon or Purple Martin, for instance. [Male Purple Martin song]
Others are drawn to a special place.
Connie Sidles and the Montlake Fill — now known as the Union Bay Natural Area of the University of Washington — are such a pairing. She writes a journal and shares it with others; she knows when every species of bird should be coming and going; and she always knows when something unusual turns up. She’s been there in all seasons, watching, listening. Connie knows the heart and soul of the place. She knows where the pipits run, bobbing their tails up and down as they go. [Calls of American Pipit]
In Marymoor Park on the east side of Lake Washington, Michael Hobbs took note when a Lazuli Bunting turned up, an unusual sighting for Western Washington [song of Lazuli Bunting]. Michael had first visited Marymoor to escape the stress of his high-tech job. Now, years later, he surveys the park every week, leading others to find birds, too.
These birders share their information for the sake of science – and for the sake of other birders. [Lazuli Bunting song]
BirdNote celebrates those who keep watch over these special places. You can read articles about great birding spots, written by the people who know them best, when you come to BirdNote.org. I’m Frank Corrado.
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Bird audio provided by the Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Purple Martin song recorded by G.A. Keller.  American Pipit call recorded by G. Vyn.  Lazuli Bunting song recorded by T.G. Sander.
Ambient recordings by Chris Peterson
Producer: John Kessler
© 2009 Tune In to Nature.org  Revised for Oct. 2009
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