Birding for Life

My eyelids abruptly open to the lyrical voice of a Song Sparrow. Still dark outside, my alarm clock is an hour away from activation. But, it's been months since I've heard the sparrow's beautiful series of notes and rhythms. So, I welcome April's rude awakening as it heralds my favourite time of year. Spring brings with it exhilaration, the anticipation of finding something exciting.

Although we all enjoy nature for various reasons, one of the great motivators in birding is documenting avian diversity. Like any collector, birders collect lists of different species.

Spending a week exploring Point Pelee in May can (with luck and hard work) net you a list of 200 species or more. Success is measured by the quantity, as well as quality, of the accumulated discoveries. Like any collection, the content contains individually treasured items. The highlight might be a rare and beautiful bird, (like a Swallow-tailed Kite or Scissor-tailed Flycatcher). There is also a reassuring sensation when surrounded by diversity, a sense of living in a healthy environment.

Any time you see a particular species of bird for the first time in your life, it becomes a "lifer", a great prize among birders, and a strong motivator to add species to one's list. Observing a new form of life can be a euphoric experience, like discovering a jewel in a treasure hunt.

But, like all active collectors, birders can have many types of lists: regional lists, year's lists, trip lists, garden lists, etc.. Some fanatical listers even keep a list of birds seen on TV (amazingly enough, a game with rules). However, to the vast majority of birders, the most important list remains their "life list", the "mother" of all lists. The desire to fill its empty spaces provides enough motive to travel the world, or chase rumours of rare creatures in remote parts of the province.

But, there is also a danger with this activity. I have witnessed many corrupted by their quest for numbers, where the list becomes more important than the experience, sometimes to the detriment of the creature being added to the list. Beware that perspective can be lost, when it becomes more important to "pad" the list than to observe and enjoy the living creature whose name will ultimately appear on the list. I too have succumbed to my competitive urges, padding my list as if the numbers took on a life of their own.

Alternately, listing can evolve into a greater appreciation of diversity. From highly visible, and relatively easy-to-observe birds, listing can blossom into observing butterflies, flowers, mammals, or even dragonflies. The activity remains fathomless, a lifelong endeavour.

Yes. . .my life list is important to me. But, I hope it never takes precedence over the joy I feel when surrounded by nature's diversity.