75 replies to this topic

[rogerVA]

Always loved birds, but only recently began to learn, photograph, and seek out the different types of birds. A few recent things have me thinking I might be a bit obsessed with birds:

1. If I see a plane or copter in the sky in my peripheral vision, I quickly look to it thinking it's some sort of raptor. (I've done the same with tv satellite dishes on tops of houses, thinking them for a moment to be giant owls..)

2. I started looking around at WalMart today when I heard a Killdeer chirping inside, then I realized it was just my shopping cart's wheels.

Just a few embarrassing moments some of you might relate to...

[Clip]

Guilty of doing a head spin whenever I see motion in the air or in my peripheral vision. And I am very guilty of looking at utility poles and signs for birds and sometimes mistaking the various gizmos on them for possible birds. I do, however, also see a lot birds this way and have become very good at Identifing most of them from a distance.

[Platypus]

The first week that the flying insects come out in the spring, my head always swivels to follow them. I know exactly what you mean!

[meghann]

We won't discuss how many times I've had to force myself to put my eyes back on the road while I'm driving, because I'll have seen a hawk flying or something, and I try to figure out what it is.

[spyonabird]

We won't discuss how many times I've had to force myself to put my eyes back on the road while I'm driving, because I'll have seen a hawk flying or something, and I try to figure out what it is.

That is where a sunroof comes in handy. :-)

[Clip]

When I do see something I can't help notice most of the time that the people around me in traffic are completely oblivious of the hawk or even bald eagle right there if they just turn their head or look up.

[BarnSwallow]

I was thankful for a sunroof on my rental car when I was in TX - that's how I saw my first caracara! I saw it through the windshield, and was unsure, til it flew right over me, and I looked up!

I agree with most people being oblivious. I saw a bald eagle being mobbed by crows one day, and it landed on the ground within 50' of the road. I pulled over to marvel at it, and was surprised when most people whizzed by, not even seeing this incredible sight.

[dancingbear860]

Sunroof is the best thing when birding "on the go" I have plenty of times, thrown my car in park on the side of the highway and popped out the sunroof to grab a picture of some hawk or such..I need a bumper sticker that says "watch out this girl is birding!" I always have a bird stuck in my head that I would like to see, and I think everywhere I look its there..on the weekends when birding with my good friend, I must yell EAGLE once a weekend...its normally just an osprey and Im just seeing things lol!!

[horseface]

Every bird that I don't get a good look at before it flies away was some rare once in a lifetime for this area species and it bothers me the rest of the day. But every one I do get a look at is a House Finch.

[NatureLady]

When I do see something I can't help notice most of the time that the people around me in traffic are completely oblivious of the hawk or even bald eagle right there if they just turn their head or look up.

It's crazy how much people don't see the beautiful birds around them. A few months ago we were drriving through Idaho and saw around 30 Bald Eagles circling on the sky and there was some perched in a near by tree also. But there was only like 2 or 3 other ppl stop besides my husband and I. It was very busy on that interstate too but hardly no one stopped to see all the birds flying high in the sky.......

[horseface]

The most common argument I've gotten into with people about birds has me saying "what a load of crap. Everyone's seen a woodpecker"

[Clip]

Horseface keep looking and your luck will change. I think that is part of the reason I like bird watching so much. I feel like I have been very lucky at it and I hope my luck doesn't change. Of course, part of good luck is being on the look out.

[horseface]

Haha oh no, I guess I wasn't clear. I've talked with so many non-birders who claim to have never seen woodpeckers and I simply refuse to believe it lol. Most people just don't look and think woodpeckers are these hard to find birds but really if you just like hang around some trees you'll probably eventually see one.

[cwj2323]

We're pretty obsessed here. You should have seen us this winter when there were Snowy Owls. It is quite embarrassing how often we stopped for a grocery bag! Then when we finally saw a Snowy, there really was no resemblance to a bag.

Yesterday my husband was out with a measuring tape measuring a fence post across the road to determine if it was a Common or Great-tailed Grackle he took pictures of. I told him Common, but that engineering mindset of his would not believe that until he figured it out for himself.

When we lived in Omaha, all we ever noticed were Cardinals, Blue Jays, and Robins. We had a Dove nest in our yard, but didn't think to find out what species. Later learned it was a Mourning. We just didn't care about birds then, so could have seen Woodpeckers , but didn't know it. My husband asked me recently if we ever saw Canada geese in Omaha, as we see them in town pretty frequently now. I had to tell him I don't remember any. Now we are very much aware of the birds we see in town or on roads, even if we cannot ID them all.

Here is something we saw from a restaurant's window a few weeks ago. (Sorry about the text, I have a guessing game on my blog now and again and this pic had the answer) And I distinctly remember none of the other diner's noticing it at all. It was a beautiful sight and they were missing out. We were so floored to see this bird in town. But they are able to thrive. We witnessed it grabbing a mouse and take it up to another light pole. It ate, not bothered at all by the traffic below.

[meghann]

I wish I had a sunroof on the minivan! Although I'm not sure that would be any better, then I'd be looking up while driving, instead of off to the side, lol!

Pretty sure I missed my lifer Cooper's Hawk on a busy freeway, flew across right in front of my car being harassed by a crow (or grackle, it was so fast and a while ago, so my memory is fuzzy.)

[EmilyRose]

I wish I had a sunroof on the minivan! Although I'm not sure that would be any better, then I'd be looking up while driving, instead of off to the side, lol!

Lol, I was on an autotour the other day and there was a gentleman standing with his scope watching out the sunroof while his wife drove ...

[rogerVA]

Before I really started avidly studying the birds recently, I assumed many of the vultures in the sky I saw were actually hawks (not sure why). I'd point them out to whoever was in the car and mention them being hawks and how I always found pleasure in their company. When I finally realized they were vultures (mainly turkey vultures) waiting for me to drop dead so they could eat me, I realized I should learn up on the birds.

[Carolina]

Sunroof is the best thing when birding "on the go" I have plenty of times, thrown my car in park on the side of the highway and popped out the sunroof to grab a picture of some hawk or such..I need a bumper sticker that says "watch out this girl is birding!"

LOL..am always thinking that I need a sticker that says"Brakes for birds...or anything that moves".

Know that I am capital "O" obsessed because I have never been a wilderness kind of person. Now I don't hesitate (well not much anyway) to go into birding areas where there is a good chance of encountering ticks & other creepy crawlies that give me the !!!Heebie Jeebies!!! not to mention the really scary snakes & alligators...

Have done so many many things in the last couple of months that if someone had told me I would be doing it....I would have thought they were crazy ones.

And it all started innocently enough with a bird feeder & a bird count...

[cwj2323]

LOL..am always thinking that I need a sticker that says"Brakes for birds...or anything that moves".

I saw a bumper sticker online that said "Mobile bird blind", but with our bird stops, we might do better with something that says, "CAUTION! Birders in car- stay clear.. May make unexpected stops."

[Kaysei]

I can relate. I too whip my head around at every little sound....even the sparrows that always make their way into Walmart. You never know what might be around the corner! Now I'm thinking I should just remove the glass in the sunroof on my Isuzu!