I inherited my mother’s bird books. Several of them, like Birds of Field and Forest, printed in Czechoslovakia by Spring Books of London, have beautiful full size color plates of the carefully illustrated birds. Many have very personal narratives about the birds observed. I’ve supplemented her books with my own over the years. After stumbling upon illustrator Keith Hansen’s studio in Bolinas, California some years ago, and having the opportunity to visit with him and hear about his work, I added the book Birds of the Sierra Nevada: Their Natural History, Status, and Distribution, illustrated by Keith, to the bird book collection. My most recent book added is The Laws Guide to Drawing Birds, written and illustrated by John Muir Laws with a foreword by David Allen Sibley. I doubt I’ll be using it to draw any time soon, but Laws shows me how to look more deeply at what I’m observing.
If you participated in the Great Backyard Bird Count February 12–15 this year (ending today), you might have been humbled by how difficult it can be sometimes to identify birds accurately. I love the Merlin Bird ID app and have used it often to help me ID a bird I encounter. But many times, I can’t identify a particular bird with the app. That’s when I go to the books. And not just one book. Different books highlight different subtleties that might be the clue I need.
I spent 15 minutes on a short walk noticing birds on Saturday with the Bird Count in mind. A few species were easy—two Mourning Doves whose distinct calls prompted me to look up; Crows on a rooftop; Northern Mockingbirds which are very present here in my neighborhood; and two California Towhees, a species I’d successfully identified with Merlin Bird ID in the past. But a group of about 20 sparrows in low-to-the-ground bushes has me baffled even after checking Merlin and books. And that’s where community comes in—the importance of connecting with people who have invested time in learning about birds.
One such local community is the Golden Gate Audubon Society. Here’s their mission statement:
The Golden Gate Audubon Society engages people to experience the wonder of birds and to translate that wonder into actions which protect native bird populations and their habitats.
Apps and books are awesome. But my participation in this year’s bird count helps me realize how important it is for my own growing engagement with the birds in my area to connect more deeply with communities of individuals working to protect native bird populations. Start with Audubon Society to connect with local groups in your area.
Resources for kids, parents, educators: Be Internet Awesome
Thanks go to my family member John B. for pointing me to Interland, a game created by Google that makes learning Internet Safety fun for 8–12-year-olds. Disclaimer: I made it through Mindful Mountain—Share with Care with a perfect score. But I kept crashing into mountains in Tower of Treasure—Secure Your Secrets. 😀 I recommend taking turns playing this one with your tween.
Here is the companion website for educators with the Be Internet Awesome Curriculum.
Take good care. Keep your spirits up. Connect.
