Still counting
Birds don’t pay taxes (although the government wishes they did). Nor do they vote (although it might make politcs a litte more rational). In any case, if ever the need… we have it covered, with an annual bird census. I had the reason explained, a long time ago: we need to know if there is ever a sudden decline. A “canary in a coal mine”, for the environment.
Locally, this is/was the day. At dawn, card heading to “the point” could be heard. Trying to get the right position to set up a temporary observation post, and then show personal skills at spotting grey dots against a grey background. I did not attend, but I sent my proxy. With binoculars, a tripod mounted spotting scope, coffee in a Thermos and a will to learn.
Because, on census day, the skilled migrate to “the point” in a team effort to upstage the others. Some of the old, collegial “I SAW” braggery. I mean, how to prove someone wrong, when we’re observing MOVING spots of grey. I’m sure that the fervents also play golf, where your stroke count is rarely confirmed, even by others in your group.
Apparently, I could have watched from my living room window. Announced to the world that I had spotted a “blue and yellow cardinal”, or a rare bird in Paradise (where I live). Any bird would do, when you phrase things like that. But, I didn’t. The binoculars and spotting scope were already in the field, and my personal visual acuity has become a joke among family members. Next year, ID by calls, even if “caw” and “caw” sound suspiciously the same to my untrained ears.
