How I Fell In Love With Birds

Scarlet Tanager: One of the species I saw during my first birding outing.

So… a little background on how I became enamored with birds. Let’s put it this way: my memoir is going to be titled “Talk Birdy to Me: How One Woman’s Life Was Changed by Birds.” But I’m jumping ahead—let’s go back to the beginning of this journey.

Believe it or not, I did not always respect birds. I’ve always been an animal lover—since I was five, when I wanted to marry Marlin Perkins and live in Africa. But I loved and wanted to protect mammals: big cats, wild dogs, wolverines, elephants, bears, whales, bison… you get the picture. To me, birds were pretty little packages without any substance—the frou-frou sissies of the animal world. I didn’t pay them any attention.

And I (gasp!) made fun of birdwatchers. I’ve always liked a good nerd, but birdwatching just seemed like a bridge too far. HA!

Then it happened: I got into birds. In May 2005, my friend Chandra asked if I wanted to take a beginner’s birdwatching class. Sure, why not? I loved learning about wildlife, even if it was just “silly” birds. Well, that class was life-altering (thank you, Chandra!).

I was proud when I realized I knew most of the birds mentioned during the classroom sessions (thanks to my general wildlife knowledge). But venturing into Central Park for my first field trip was like entering another world—I felt like Alice in Wonderland. There was never a single “trigger bird” (the particular bird that ignites a fire in most birders) for me. Instead, there was a dizzying, amazing kaleidoscope of colors as I descended into what could only be described as warbler madness.

Anyone who has been to Central Park in early May will get it… there was avian eye candy everywhere. My head was spinning, and that was that. I was an addict. During one of my earliest outings, I managed to observe a Blackburnian Warbler, Scarlet Tanager, and Baltimore Oriole in a single binocular view. I’m pretty sure my heart burst from this abundance of gorgeousness.

I went birding every day: before work, after work, every weekend. I was late for work because… well, birding. Vacations revolved (and still do) around birding. Within months, I found myself on the board of Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon, and in less than a year, I was elected president.

I went from armchair activist to working conservationist—and obsessive birder. Birding was not just a hobby; it became my lifestyle. Who I am. I had stumbled down the rabbit hole and, to steal a line from a friend, had become one of those people I used to make fun of. You know… those “bridge-too-far” nerds! And here I am now—who would’ve thunk it!?