Birding With Friends Third Place Winner
“I hear one! I hear one!” my heart sang as the buzzy music floated to me on the refreshing breeze of morning. I quietly rushed up the trail, hoping to snag the opportunity ahead of me. Now where was he? Surely he hadn’t left.
Then he sang again—a quiet, buzzy “Bee, bzzz, bzzz, bzzz.” There he was, in a tree a mere 30 feet (9 m) in front of me! What a beauty! Golden yellow on gray and black, with a few whitish areas strategically placed—he absolutely glistened in the morning sunlight.
He gave chase to a fleeing insect, then darted back to the tree, snagging some more insects and replaying his song. It was a Golden-winged Warbler, a favorite of mine. But it was not long till I discovered that there were more opportunities in these woods. And beyond.
I had been discouraged about birding this spring, until that morning. Every morning prior, I had seen only one, maybe two, sometimes no species of warblers. I had seen only four species total before that morning. Where were they? Did the cold weather slow them down? I don’t know.
Neither do I know what was different about that morning, May 3, 2026. And it wasn’t just warblers that morning; it was also anything from Snow Geese to Indigo Buntings. This was a species day. An opportunity day. A fun day!
In a circle 200 feet in diameter, I had thick brush, thin brush, tall trees, short trees, lawn, and weeds. I could see out across a CRP field and deep into the woods. It was a multi-habitat circle. That’s why my species list grew so fast and I had so much fun.
All alone in the woods, I basked in the presence of my three best warblers: Golden-winged, Chestnut-sided, and Northern Parula, in that order. Nashvilles, Tennessees, and some other warblers filled my circle that morning. In the distance, an excited Canada Goose honked, a proud turkey gobbled, and an angry crow belched its “Caw, caw, caw!” From the depths of the woods came a Wood Thrush’s “Do you, do you see me?”
No, I don’t, Sir, but thanks for singing.
Then I ran into a problem. I ran out of time! Now that’s disgusting when you’re having the fun of your lifetime. But I had to leave. So I left, wishing to leave an eye and an ear in my circle.
I came back in the evening then. The birds were still somewhat excited. From the very edge of my circle, I could see the Killdeer on her nest in the driveway. As of this writing, the babies have hatched—cute little furry balls on legs the size of a giant hair.
The next morning, I awoke early and went out to the woods. A dead woods! What a disappointment! Well, at least I snagged my opportunity while it presented itself. It saddens me to realize that many people actually miss this opportunity. It might even be as close as their backyard! As for me, I find it a great opportunity to watch God’s beautiful creation of birds.
Bird List
- Blackbird, Red-winged
- Bluebird, Eastern
- Bunting, Indigo
- Cardinal, Northern
- Catbird, Gray
- Chickadee, Black-capped
- Cormorant, Double-crested
- Cowbird, Brown-headed
- Crow, American
- Dove, Mourning
- Flicker, Northern
- Flycatcher, Great-crested
- Gnatcatcher, Blue-gray
- Goldfinch, American
- Goose, Canada
- Goose, Snow
- Grosbeak, Rose-breasted
- Jay, Blue
- Killdeer
- Kinglet, Ruby-crowned
- Meadowlark, Eastern
- Nuthatch, White-breasted
- Oriole, Baltimore
- Oriole, Orchard
- Ovenbird
- Parula, Northern
- Pelican, American White
- Phoebe, Eastern
- Redstart, American
- Robin, American
- Sparrow, Chipping
- Sparrow, Field
- Sparrow, House
- Sparrow, Song
- Sparrow, White-crowned
- Sparrow, White-throated
- Starling European
- Swallow, Barn
- Swallow, Cliff
- Thrush, Wood
- Thrasher, Brown
- Titmouse, Tufted
- Towhee, Eastern
- Turkey, Wild
- Vireo, Blue-headed
- Vulture, Turkey
- Warbler, Black-and-white
- Warbler, Chestnut-sided
- Warbler, Golden-winged
- Warbler, Nashville
- Warbler, Tennessee
- Warbler, Yellow-rumped
- Woodpecker, Downy
- Woodpecker, Pileated
- Woodpecker, Red-bellied
- Woodpecker, Red-headed
- Wren, Carolina
- Wren, House