A house finch perches on the top branch of an evergreen tree and bursts into song. We peer through binoculars to observe the bird vocalizing in a string of short, warbling notes, finishing with a gentle slur.
Our leader for this early April bird walk is Ted Floyd, author of numerous books and hundreds of articles on birding, as well as editor of American Birding Association magazine. One of Ted's favorite places to bird is Lafayette's Waneka Lake Park and its adjacent Greenlee Wildlife Preserve. Within steps of his home, Ted is enthusiastic about sharing his extended 'backyard' where he's lived for almost 20 years. He knows the area like the back of his hand, but still finds something new every time he goes out, which is almost daily. "I see new things every day," said Ted. "You just have to look!"
On this particular morning, we are learning to identify bird sounds. Ted encourages us to watch the birds vocalize. Observing the visual processing of a bird's song is one way to help the brain retain a species' sound patterns. We also learn about sound spectograms, pictorial representations of bird sounds. (For more information on this, See Ted's YouTube video on the subject, How to See Birdsong).
By the end of the morning, our group dwindles in size to just a few hardy birders. We walk along a familiar section of the lake, not expecting to find anything unusual. So, I am more than a little surprised at Ted's enthusiasm at spotting a couple of bushtits. While charming, these tiny little birds are quite common. However, Ted launches an enthusiastic discourse on why he considers these the "greatest birds in the world." And I am convinced. Check out Ted's video presentation on the subject, Celebrating the Greatest Bird in the World, and you just might be, too.
Post and photos by Karen Clark
