Introduction
Wild birds are everywhere. We share the neighborhood. Evolutionary pressures compel birds to express themselves in unique song, striking plumage, extraordinary nests and Herculean migrations. They accept our food, but remain wild.
The birds bring this wild world right into our yards. Humans are often oblivious to or barely conscious of the birdlife all around them. Applying a little conscious awareness begins to reveal a layer of natural beauty that can enhance one’s sense of place and calm a rushed psyche.
Bird watching as a craft can take many forms. An early morning walk that takes you to a meditative place with nature can find itself expressed as new records in a national database by the afternoon. Keeping a few notes about when you first see spring migrants can lead to a spring-time of joy as you hear a returning friend’s voice for the first time since last fall and “right on time”.
In this outing, during the peak of the Fall migration, the leader will introduce the fundamentals of birding both by sight and by sound. Effective use of field guides and binoculars will be practiced. Discussions will touch on bird behavior, habitat interactions and the basics of migration.
More Information on:Outing Leader
Robert Templeton lives in Dixon. He began birding in 1995, attending an Audubon Christmas Bird Count in Española. He has been leading bird walks for adults and children in Northern New Mexico for more than a decade. His website, RioEmbudoBirds.org, provides tools for learning about the birds of Northern New Mexico.