What do they have to do with anything? (Well, what do penguins not have to do with, seriously.)
When I was a kid, my mom and dad were birdwatchers and they taught me a lot, from the vantage point of the living room looking out at nuthatches on the bird feeder in winter, from the car gazing through binoculars at ducks distant on a lake, catching flashes of warblers in the bushes as we walked.
Now, I love birdwatching with my son (Turner Bohlen, a Beagle co-founder) and daughter-in-law, and husband, and brother, and now Carolyn Bickers (another Beagler!) is also hooked! We keep lists of what we have seen, and share little anecdotes. We even plot special birdwatching trips, like the very, very special trip to Antarctica, on which we saw all these penguins.
Birdwatching is pretty addictive. I think it appeals to the seeker and hunter in each of us, trying to spot hidden creatures. But we never kill, just look, and photograph.
When, then, does a hobby or passtime like birdwatching become a passion project? Perhaps when we enter the research stage, and plan for further action!
Often when I see a bird doing something strange to me, I'll start doing research, James (Beagler) and I were wondering about the funny topknots the Gambel's quail have. We watch these beauties walk around our house in Arizona all the time, and we listen to their charming variety of calls.
I started researching the topknot and what is known about it. I learned that it is made up of six feathers, and that it is used not to attract the opposite sex, but to intimidate the same sex quail.
Soon I was researching--mainly from the peer-reviewed scientific literature--the speed of the hummingbirds we saw, along with how they make their loud mating call (it's their feathers, not their voices!), how far kingfishers will carry fish before they eat them, how long Blue herons stay in the nest before fledging, and so much more. Each research discovery is a special joy because it connects with a question I genuinely had from my own observations.
So, big goal (birdwatching), natural next questions (topknots, etc), research, and then...action? Not totally clear yet, but so far, we have put up nest houses, improved the kinds of food we put out, and done more local trips to see birds. Stay tuned!
